July 11, 2024
“I just wanted an opportunity to show the world the talent God has given me,” Smith said in his apology.
Ghanaian chef Ebenezer Smith was arrested over a dispute with a sponsor, after it was discovered that he allegedly created a fake Guinness World Record certificate. Smith was taken into custody when Amadia Shopping Centre, the venue where he held his cooking marathon, accused him of defrauding them out of GHC 350,000.
In a press conference on July 9, Smith announced that he was the new world-record holder after cooking continuously for 802 hours and 25 minutes in a one-month span. He allegedly presented a certificate that appeared to come from Guinness World Records.
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The following day, Alina Polianskaya, PR Executive for Guinness World Record GWR, told BBC Pidgin that Smith’s claims were untrue.
In an interview with GHOneTV, the disgraced chef admitted to forging the document and expressed his remorse.
”I feel so disappointed in myself for disappointing the people of Ghana, my loved ones, and everybody around the world,” Smith said.
He admitted that he never submitted an application to the GWR. The chef used the reference number from another person’s application to secure sponsorship from several companies. He went on to explain that he created the elaborate hoax because he wanted to build a platform to showcase his skills. When asked if he had anything to say to his sponsors, Smith said that words were not sufficient to express his remorse.
“Words wouldn’t be enough. I feel like, at this point in time, I give my life out to them to do to me as they wish. I don’t even deserve to live because it’s too much for me to bear, “he said.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Alan Fisher holds the current record for longest cooking marathon, which lasted for 119 hours, 57 minutes and 16 seconds from 28 September-3 October last year.
It had previously been held by Nigerian chef Hilda Bacci, who cooked for 93 hours 11 minutes.
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