Sponsor of Chef Smith’s recent cook-a-thon, Amadia Shopping Centre, has released their account of events following the arrest of Chef Smith and the subsequent investigation into the authenticity of his Guinness World Records (GWR) certificate.
The cook-a-thon, which concluded on March 6, 2024, has been overshadowed by allegations of a fake certificate and contractual breaches.
Amadia Shopping Centre, owned by Mrs. Nana Ama Duodu (aka Amadia) and managed by her brother Nana Boroo, fully sponsored the month-long cook-a-thon that started on February 1, 2024.
The sponsorship included a three-year binding contract to support Chef Smith’s record-breaking attempt, aiming to showcase his culinary talents and inspire global food enthusiasts.
Under a three-year binding contract, the sponsors said they fulfilled all pledge and even went beyond to host a musical concert, celebrating the achievement and thanking the public for their support.
In a press statement, the sponsors said complications arose following the event as despite several attempts to obtain updates on video uploads and the status of Chef Smith’s Guinness World Records (GWR) application, was ignored.
The situation escalated on July 3, 2024, when Chef Smith announced a press conference at the La Palm Royal Beach to disclose the results of his GWR attempt without informing his primary sponsor, which violated the contract stipulating the sponsor’s right of first refusal for related activities.
Amadia Shopping Centre’s management, led by Nana Boroo, said they went to the La Palm Hotel to verify the authenticity of Chef Smith’s GWR certificate, concerned about their brand’s association with potentially misleading information.
The statement noted that at the venue, Chef Smith’s team denied the Amadia representatives entry to the press conference, leading to a standoff.
Despite repeated efforts to resolve the issue, they indicated that Chef Smith’s team locked them out.
In a bid to protect their corporate brand, the sponsor’s management called the police to intervene and halt the press conference until Chef Smith could authenticate the GWR certificate.
The police intervened after the announcement and certificate presentation, resulting in Chef Smith and his manager being taken to the police station for further questioning.
The police have since taken over the investigation to verify the certificate’s authenticity.
The sponsor, Amadia Shopping Centre,has assured Ghanaians of their dedication to supporting individuals aiming for Guinness World Records attempts to enhance Ghana’s global reputation.
They have expressed gratitude to the police for their intervention and to the public for their continued support and patronage.