Dancehall artist Shatta Wale, born Charles Nii Armah Mensah, is currently and once again under intense media scrutiny as a result of two hurdles or cases he has been facing in the past few weeks. The controversies swirling around him involve a high-profile investigation by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the seizure of a luxury vehicle linked to a US fraud case, and a public dispute with a music producer that has led to the removal of his albums from a major streaming platform.
Case 1: Shatta Wale Vs. EOCO – The Lamborghini Brouhaha
Shatta Wale’s legal troubles began with the seizure of his yellow 2019 Lamborghini Urus by EOCO. The agency’s operation stemmed from a 2023 request from the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Department of Justice, which linked the vehicle to the criminal proceeds of a Ghanaian-American fraudster, Nana Kwabena Amuah. Amuah is currently serving an 86-month sentence in the United States for multi-million-dollar financial crimes, including romance and business scams. The FBI and Department of Justice are reportedly seeking the vehicle’s return as part of a $4.7 million restitution order against Amuah.
Shatta Wale, accompanied by his lawyer, Cephas Biyuo, presented himself to EOCO on Wednesday, August 20, to assist with the investigation. He was subsequently detained, but his management, led by Samuel Atuobi Baah, confirmed his release on a GH₵10 million bail with two sureties. The management team is actively working to fulfill the bail conditions.
While widespread speculation suggested the case was a money laundering probe, his team clarified that the investigation focuses on tax obligations related to the luxury car and the operations of his company. The EOCO has assessed Shatta Wale and a former senior officer of the National Signal Bureau as persons of interest in the ongoing inquiry and may invite them for further questioning.
Meanwhile, Shatta Wale has purchased a new purple 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a defiant move that came shortly after the seizure of the first vehicle. In the video, he encouraged other Ghanaian musicians to work hard for similar luxuries, citing his 25 years of hard work and consistency as the source of his wealth.
Shatta Wale Allegedly Lost $2 Million EP Deal
The negative publicity from the EOCO case has had serious financial repercussions for Shatta Wale. His team, including Public Relations Officer Sammy Flex, has lamented the collapse of a $2 million distribution deal for the artiste’s “Voice of the Crown” EP. In a Facebook post, Sammy Flex expressed worry over the setback, highlighting how the circulating reports are hurting the business side of the Shatta Movement brand.
Shatta Wale responded to his team member with a post of his own, acknowledging the painful blow but maintaining an optimistic outlook. “Say no more Boss, Epain we all but God deh… Stay strong #GODISHERE O#VOTCEP will still fly no matter what Man go do,” he wrote, reassuring fans and his team that the project would eventually succeed despite the current challenges.
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Case 2: Shatta Wale Vs. MOG Beatz
Adding to Shatta Wale’s woes is a renewed and escalated dispute with renowned music producer MOG Beatz. The clash, which first surfaced in 2021, centers on allegations that Shatta Wale has been misrepresenting production credits to secure financial deals without compensating the producers involved.
On August 19, 2025, MOG Beatz took to social media to announce that he had removed two of Shatta Wale’s albums, “Reign” and “Wondaboy,” from Apple Music. He accused the artist of selling a music catalogue—which included songs he produced—to an international company for millions of dollars without his knowledge or consent. According to MOG, Shatta Wale had stripped off his production credits and replaced them with his own name to secure an advance payment from the foreign company.
This marks the second time MOG has publicly called out Shatta Wale. In their first dispute in 2021, MOG claimed he had produced 10 songs on the “Reign” album but never received payment, despite the album’s success. He said that Shatta Wale ignored his requests for compensation, leading to a public feud that went unresolved.
This time, the producer is not backing down. In a video and a series of heated posts, MOG Beatz insisted that the issue is about integrity, not just money. He asserted that Shatta Wale’s sudden display of wealth, including luxury cars like a Rolls-Royce, was financed by this alleged catalogue sale. MOG challenged Shatta Wale to provide evidence to counter his claims, threatening to remove more albums and demanding that the artist refund the company he allegedly scammed.
Inside The Legal Battle Between Shatta Wale & MOG Beatz
According to MOG Beatz, his dispute with Shatta Wale stems from a lack of formal agreements from the very beginning. MOG admitted that he and Shatta Wale never signed any contracts or split sheets—essential documents in the music industry that legally outline who owns what percentage of a song. While this absence of formal paperwork created initial ambiguity, MOG’s name and the names of other producers were credited on the songs until the catalog was sold. The subsequent removal of these credits, which he says transferred 100% ownership to Shatta Wale, raised alarm bells and prompted MOG to take action to protect his stake.
MOG Beatz’s primary evidence in the dispute is his unique producer tag—a signature sound he embeds in his productions. He used this tag as proof of authorship when filing a DMCA takedown request with Apple Music. The fact that Apple Music honored his request and removed the albums indicates that the platform found his evidence of a possible infringement to be credible, at least for a temporary takedown.
Legal expert Antoinette Boama, known as Afia Blue, explains that under Ghana’s Copyright Act, copyrights cannot be transferred verbally; they must be done in writing. This means that without a signed agreement from MOG Beatz transferring his rights, he is still presumed to be a contributor or even a co-owner of the works he produced.
Afia Blue noted that both parties share some responsibility for the issue. MOG, as a producer, should have insisted on having contracts in place. However, Shatta Wale, as the artist, could not legally sell a catalog containing other people’s contributions without their written consent.
What Could Happen in Court?
If the case were to escalate to a legal battle, three key issues would likely be at the forefront:
- Master Rights vs. Publishing Rights: As the producer, MOG Beatz holds a claim to a portion of the master recordings. Since he insists he never signed away these rights, he could argue for partial ownership.
- Ownership: Shatta Wale would need to prove he had full ownership of every song in the catalog to justify selling it. Given the lack of formal contracts, this could be difficult.
- Compensation: Even if Shatta Wale is legally recognized as the primary owner, MOG could still seek compensation. His work added value to the catalog, and he could argue that he deserves a share of the profits from the sale.
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