In an extensive interview with Serwaa Amihere, he confessed to a series of shocking lies and elaborate schemes he orchestrated.
Appearing visibly remorseful during the interview on Saturday, 6 July 2024, Chef Smith tearfully disclosed the intricate details of how he successfully executed his elaborate plot to deceive the entire nation with a staged cooking marathon.
Among the deceitful actions, he admitted to:
He never applied for the cook-a-thon:
Chef Smith confessed that he never actually applied for the Guinness World Records Longest Cooking Marathon. Despite appearing to go through the proper channels, he revealed that Guinness World Records was unaware of his cooking attempt. He admitted to studying their procedures but ultimately did not submit an official application as he led Ghanaians to believe.
He forged a certificate from the International Master Chef's Club:
A certification prominently displayed on Chef Smith's social media, purportedly from the International Master Chef's Club, was confirmed by him to be forged during the interview. He admitted to fabricating the certificate when questioned by Serwaa Amihere, acknowledging that he is not a member of the club.
He used Adu Safowaa's reference number:
In a startling revelation, Chef Smith confessed to modifying Adu Safowaa's reference number to create a fraudulent one for his Guinness World Records application. He explained that he altered her reference code without her knowledge, using it as the basis for his own application.
Mismanagement of donation funds:
Chef Smith revealed that donations were made for his alleged Guinness World Record attempt. He detailed an arrangement where sponsors financed expenses and were expected to recoup their investment with donations sent through mobile money and bank accounts. However, there has been no update on what became of these donations or the status of the funds deposited into the mobile money and bank accounts in his name.
During the interview, Chef Smith also cited financial struggles from his regular job, earning between GH₵1,500 to GH₵2,000 at times, as a motivation for his fraudulent actions. His revelations have sparked widespread controversy and condemnation across social media.
Counterfeit Guinness World Record (GWR) certificate:
Chef Smith earlier claimed at a press conference in Accra that he holds the Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon, citing a remarkable duration of 802 hours and 25 minutes. However, upon verification with Guinness World Records (GWR), it was revealed that the certificate presented by Chef Smith at the press conference was not authentic. GWR clarified, stating, “The current record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119 hr 57 min 16 sec, achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023.”
In an interview with Serwaa Amihere, Chef Smith admitted to forging the certificate and acknowledged that GWR was unaware of his claim to the record. He rendered an apology to that effect, “I render a very big apology on this big platform, and I apologise to the world that I am so sorry. I don’t deserve to live. But in my quest to earn a living, it has landed me this way. I am sorry, and I beg the entire nation,” he expressed.
The incident has generated significant public outrage and disappointment, as many people initially celebrated Chef Smith's supposed achievement.