Ebenezer Smith, a Ghanaian chef, has been arrested following allegations of fabricating a Guinness World Records achievement for the longest non-stop cooking session by an individual.
Smith claimed to have cooked continuously for 802 hours and 25 minutes, surpassing a month-long mark, and presented what he purported to be a Guinness World Records certificate.
However, these claims were swiftly refuted by Guinness World Records officials, who stated that they had no record of his attempt nor did they issue any such certificate. According to a GWR spokesperson, the certificate presented by Smith was not authentic.
The controversy deepened when Smith was apprehended by local authorities over a dispute with his sponsor, the Amadia Shopping Centre in Accra, where the cooking marathon took place in March. Allegedly, Smith failed to inform the sponsor about developments related to his purported record-breaking achievement, leading to contractual disputes.
The incident has sparked widespread disappointment among Ghanaians, many of whom had celebrated Smith’s initial claim with enthusiasm on social media. Smith remains in police custody without charges filed against him at this time.
In recent years, Ghana has seen several attempts to break Guinness World Records, reflecting a growing enthusiasm for such achievements. Despite local support and involvement of celebrities in Smith’s attempt, the credibility of his claim has now come into question amidst ongoing legal and public scrutiny.
Guinness World Records currently recognizes the longest cooking marathon by an individual as 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Ireland’s Alan Fisher in September last year.