Culture

‘I don’t even deserve to live,’ fraudulent Ghanaian chef arrested for forging GWR says

Published

5 months ago

July 8, 2024

Fraudulent Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith, who was arrested after he claimed to have broken the Guinness World Records (GWR) for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, says he is so ashamed of himself and does not deserve to live.

The cook, who is fondly called “Millennium Chef Smith”, was arrested and detained on Tuesday at the La police station in Accra for faking the GWR award after he publicly announced himself as the new world record holder, claiming he cooked non-stop for 802 hours and 25 minutes.

Smith had claimed he started the cook-a-thon on February 1 and ended on March 6, allegedly clocking about 33 days to beat the existing world record of 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Irish chef, Alan Fisher in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023.

To back up his claim, Smith had presented a certificate he said was given to him by authorities of the GWR.

But on Wednesday, a spokeswoman of the GWR, Alina Polianskaya, told BBC Pidgin that Smith’s claims were “not true” while the certificate he presented was also fake and did not emanate from them.

“The current and true record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023,” Polianskaya said.

Following the revelation by Polianskaya, the Ghanaian police arrested Smith following a disagreement with his sponsor, the Amadia Shopping Centre, Spintex, where he held his cooking marathon.

He was accused of breaching a contractual agreement by failing to inform the shopping centre about the alleged award, a deception that turned Smith into a persona non grata with a barrage
of condemnation on social media, with many Ghanaian users who supported his attempt, expressing shock and disappointment.

Smith who opened up on his fake GWR record spoke out on Monday saying he is so ashamed of what he did.

“I have been following GRW for long. They (GWR) have a lot of certificates on their online pages. So I just picked one and edited it with my details,” Smith confessed in an interview with GHOne TV.

“After Hilda Bassey did it, I have been thinking about it. And then all of a sudden I decided, after Afua did her sing-a-thon, I decided to make a step,” Smith said.

“Tracking the history has always been sequential, like numbers with the application reference. So I landed on the application reference of Adu Safoa. And then I built something for myself.”

Smith who also revealed that his assistant was not aware of his criminal act, said his sponsors spent more than GH¢300,000 on him, adding that he is ready to face any action from them.

“I can’t tell the exact amount my sponsors invested but it may be more than GH¢300,000.

“Words won’t be enough, at this point, I give my life out to my sponsors to do to me as they wish. I don’t even deserve to live because it’s too much for me to bear,” he added.

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Culture

Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

Published

21 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.

Culture

Ugandan TikToker sentenced to 32 months for insulting President Museveni

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

21-year-old Ugandan TikToker and content creator, Emmanuel Nabugodi, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for allegedly insulting President Yoweri Museveni in a satirical video.

Nabugodi was found guilty by an Entebbe High Court for allegedly creating a video deemed insulting to President Museveni, a verdict which human rights advocates say further entrenches Uganda’s intolerance for criticism of government officials and holding them accountable.

During his arraignment before Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis on Monday, Nabugodi pleaded guilty to four charges of defamation of character.

The content creator who gained popularity for his comedy sketches with over 20,000 followers, pleaded guilty to charges including hate speech and spreading malicious content about the president.

Local media report that the offensive video featured a mock trial of President Museveni, where Nabugodi depicted the leader being subjected to public flogging.

While delivering the judgement, Chief Magistrate Amabilis said the sentencing aimed to deter social media users from targeting others, including high-profile individuals like the president.

“This court hopes that by the time the convict leaves prison, he will have learned that abusing people in the name of creating content is unacceptable,” she stated.

Rights groups have frequently raised concerns about shrinking freedoms of expression in Uganda with critics arguing that Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has little tolerance for dissent.

Nabugodi’s case is the latest in a string of arrests targeting social media users.

In July, another TikTok creator, Edward Awebwa, received a six-year prison sentence on similar charges, while three others are awaiting trial for their TikTok contents.

The convictions stem from Uganda’s 2022 amendment to the Computer Misuse Act, which criminalizes sharing content online that could “ridicule, degrade, or demean” others based on their identity or affiliation.

Human rights organizations have also accused Ugandan authorities of routinely violating freedoms of speech and expression, with many calling for reforms to protect citizens’ digital rights.