Ghanaian dancehall artiste Shatta Wale says the recent saga involving the Economic and Organised Crime Office has taken a toll on his public image and cost him valuable business deals.
In an interview on Ekosiisen on Asempa FM on Wednesday, the musician said he was deeply unhappy about how the situation unfolded, arguing that the entire episode has hurt his brand both in Ghana and abroad.
“I feel sad about it because the system hasn’t really protected me as a citizen,” he said. “I see this whole situation to be either a gameplay or I’m a target of something.”
The artiste explained that the controversy began when officials from the Economic and Organised Crime Office arrived at his home following claims that vehicles linked to former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene were in his possession and needed to be investigated.
“When this matter came up, it was about Adu-Boahene, who is a state official, and I know EOCO deals with state issues,” he explained.
“But they came to my house saying Adu-Boahene had cars with me, and they wanted to check. When they came, there were no cars. It was just my Lamborghini.”
Shatta Wale said he has no relationship with the politician and questioned why authorities did not approach the matter privately.
“Shatta is a very loyal and patriotic citizen. If you had come to me and said that your car had a problem in America and they had been looking for it, I would have signed the papers for you to send it back.”
He believes the manner in which the case was handled created the impression that he had knowingly acquired a stolen vehicle.
“Everybody thinks I bought a stolen car,” he lamented. “When I came, I drove here with my Lamborghini. If it was stolen, why would I be driving it around?”
The musician also disclosed that he personally pleaded with the head of the agency to deal with the issue quietly.
“The respect I had for the EOCO boss—when I met him, I even knelt down and told him that whatever they want to do with the issue, they should not let it come out,” he said.
Shatta Wale is now demanding an apology from the leadership of the agency, saying the situation has severely affected how his brand is perceived.
“I want to boldly say that the EOCO boss needs to apologise to my brand, not me, Shatta Wale, because they have really tarnished my image in Ghana and even abroad,” he stated.
He added that suggestions linking his car to alleged criminal proceeds left him unsettled.
“The best thing they could have said was ‘Shatta, come and take your car,’ but to hear another story that the car is proceeds of crime, I was like, ‘where is this coming from?’ At a point, I felt like I was not safe in this country.”
