By Sodiq Lawal
Renowned Ghanaian chef Ebenezer Smith has been arrested and detained at the La police station on allegations of fraud. Reports indicate that his arrest is linked to claims of defrauding Amadia Shopping Mall, one of the sponsors of his cooking marathon, out of approximately GHC350,000.
This news follows a recent press conference where Chef Smith announced that he had become the latest Guinness World Record holder for the longest cooking marathon. Held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on July 2, he proclaimed, “Today is the day that I will forever remember. I am incredibly humbled and honoured to stand before you today as the Guinness World Record holder.”
Chef Smith claimed to have cooked continuously for an astounding 820 hours from February 1 to March 6, 2024. However, the Guinness World Records organization has since confirmed that the certificate he presented is not authentic. Madalyn Biefeld, a representative from Guinness World Records, clarified that Chef Smith is not recognized as the new world cook-a-thon champion.
The current record remains with Alan Fisher from Ireland, who set a time of 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds earlier this year. The unfolding events raise serious questions about Chef Smith’s claims and his conduct related to the sponsorship funds.