Chef Smith‘s deception extended far beyond fabricating his Guinness World Record cook-a-thon certificate. In an extensive interview with Serwaa Amihere on Saturday, July 6, 2024, he confessed to a series of shocking lies and elaborate schemes.
Appearing visibly remorseful, Chef Smith disclosed the intricate details of his elaborate plot to deceive the entire nation with a staged cooking marathon. Among the deceitful actions, he admitted to several key deceptions:
Guinness World Records Application:
Chef Smith confessed that he never actually applied for the Guinness World Records Longest Cooking Marathon. Despite appearing to follow the proper channels, he revealed that Guinness World Records was unaware of his cooking attempt. He studied their procedures but did not submit an official application, misleading Ghanaians into believing otherwise.
Forged 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. He admitted to fabricating the certificate, acknowledging that he is not a member of the club.
Using 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 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. Sponsors financed expenses and expected to recoup their investment through donations sent via mobile money and bank accounts. However, there has been no update on the status of these funds, raising concerns about their management.
Chef Smith also cited financial struggles from his regular job, earning between GH₵1,500 to GH₵2,000 at times, as motivation for his fraudulent actions. His revelations have sparked widespread controversy and condemnation across social media.
Additionally, 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, verification with Guinness World Records (GWR) revealed that the certificate presented by Chef Smith was not authentic. GWR clarified that the current record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is Alan Fisher, with a duration of 119 hr 57 min 16 sec.
In his interview, Chef Smith admitted to forging the certificate and acknowledged that GWR was unaware of his claim to the record. He apologized, expressing deep remorse and begging the nation for forgiveness: “I render a very big apology on this big platform, and I apologize 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.
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