Ghanaian chef Ebenezer Smith, known as Millennium Chef Smith, has been arrested and detained at the La Police Station for allegedly forging a Guinness World Record for marathon cooking.
On Tuesday, Smith presented a certificate at a press conference, claiming to be the new world record holder for an 820-hour 25-minute cook-a-thon, which began on February 1 and concluded on March 6, 2024.
The event concluded with a star-studded celebration featuring performers such as Praye Tietia, Yaw Tog, Amerado, Kofi Jamar, and the Asakaa Boys.
During the briefing, which was held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, the chef said, “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.”
Earlier, the Ghanaian chef wrote in a social media post, “It is with great pleasure and honour that we inform the general public and the media about Millennium Chef Smith’s press conference.
“He will be announcing his results from the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. The event will take place at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 2:00 pm. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Confirming the invalidity of his certificate to BBC, the PR Executive for GWR, Alina Polianskaya, said, “No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate.
“The current and true record holder is: The longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119hr 57 min 16 sec and was achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023,” he added.
Shortly after publicizing his fabricated record and displaying his certificate, Smith was apprehended by the police.
According to The PUNCH, Smith had received funds from numerous sponsors to undertake a cook-a-thon that he had not properly registered with Guinness World Records (GWR). One of his sponsors, identified as the owner (name withheld) of Amadia Shopping Mall, who contributed approximately 350,000 cedis to the initiative, was reportedly involved in his arrest.
Efforts to reach the LA Police for a statement were unsuccessful, as their phone number was unreachable and emails sent to the provided address on their website bounced back.
The current record holder for the longest cooking duration is Irish chef Alan Fisher, who achieved a time of 119 hours and 57 minutes. This surpasses the previous record held by Nigeria’s Hilda Baci by 24 hours.
“Alan Fisher (Ireland), an owner and chef of a restaurant in Japan, has broken two cooking-related Guinness World Records titles.
“First up, he’s claimed the longest cooking marathon (individual) after clocking in a time of 119 hours 57 minutes. That is more than 24 hours longer than the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci.”