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Shatta Wale Probe: Ghana Must Tighten Laws on Unexplained Wealth – Appiah-Danquah
Private legal practitioner and spokesperson for the Movement for Change, Andrew Appiah-Danquah, has called for the introduction of stronger laws on unexplained wealth and lifestyle audits in Ghana to enhance the fight against economic crime.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, August 23, Appiah-Danquah argued that Ghana’s current legal framework is fragmented and ill-equipped to tackle illicit wealth accumulation.
“So EOCO, FIC, I think they need to look seriously at lifestyle audit issues. I think in the UK they have ‘Unexplained Wealth Order.’ I don’t think we have anything of that nature here. So we also need to find a way of putting all these laws into one full law to make it easier,” he stated.
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His remarks follow the Economic and Organized Crime Office’s (EOCO) recent probe into dancehall artiste Shatta Wale’s acquisition of a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a luxury vehicle suspected to be linked to a US$4 million fraud orchestrated by Ghanaian national Nana Kwabena Amuah in the United States.
EOCO, working in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), seized the car as part of ongoing investigations. Shatta Wale was questioned for nearly four hours but reportedly failed to identify the seller, claiming he purchased the vehicle from “the street.”
Investigators further revealed that the only documentation he provided was a customs declaration form bearing Amuah’s name. The musician was later released on revised bail conditions after days of intense scrutiny.
Appiah-Danquah commended EOCO for expanding its mandate beyond political cases but stressed the need for more robust enforcement of anti-money laundering regulations.
“I will encourage EOCO; I think they are doing a great job. In fact, EOCO for a long time has been weaponized as a political tool going after politicians. But EOCO’s job is not just to deal with politicians because economic crime isn’t just about politicians,” he said.
He further urged Parliament to consider consolidating existing legislation into a comprehensive law on unexplained wealth, similar to frameworks in advanced jurisdictions.
“I think it is high time they treat the Anti-Money Laundering Act seriously, and they treat all the various bits of laws that deal with unexplained wealth seriously,” Appiah-Danquah added.
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