The former CEO of the now-defunct Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM 1, has pleaded not guilty to a total of 39 charges brought against him, including money laundering, aiding and abetting, defrauding through false pretences, engaging in deposit-taking without the required licence, unlawful deposit-taking, and various money laundering-related offences.
This legal saga traces back to 2019 when the Attorney General initiated investigations into NAM 1’s activities, accusing him of defrauding thousands of customers through his gold dealership firm, ultimately costing them millions of Ghana cedis. The case has been marked by numerous adjournments and complexities over the years.
The recent development comes after the Attorney General decided to streamline the case, reducing the initial 61 charges to 39. These charges mark a significant legal battle for NAM 1, who has been at the center of one of Ghana’s most high-profile financial scandals in recent years.
The latest chapter in this ongoing legal drama unfolded on August 30, 2023, when the new charges were filed, escalating the legal battle once again. It is important to note that these charges represent a critical juncture in the pursuit of justice for the thousands of Menzgold customers who lost their investments.
The situation took an unexpected twist when Nana Appiah Mensah initially announced plans to unfreeze the locked-up funds of Menzgold customers, albeit with a caveat of requiring a ¢650 fee for verification. This decision was met with strong backlash from both former clients and the public at large.
Subsequently, in response to the public outcry, NAM 1 reversed his decision, abandoning the requirement for customers to purchase a verification access card to validate their transactions and claims. This reversal adds yet another layer of complexity to an already convoluted legal battle.