Embattled Chief Executive Officer of the defunct gold dealership firm Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM1, has appealed to the trial judge to grant him “reasonable time” to “scout and engage” new legal representation as he continues his defense in court.
In his plea, NAM1 explained that this request was part of his efforts to “affirm my innocence” before both the court and the global community. His statement came following a series of legal developments in the ongoing case.
On July 11, 2024, the High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaa, ruled that NAM1 and his two companies, Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult, would have to open their defense to charges of 37 counts after the court dismissed a submission of no case to answer.
Subsequently, NAM1 and his companies filed a motion requesting a stay of proceedings while they appealed the High Court’s ruling. However, on December 5, the court dismissed the request for a stay and instructed the defendants to comply with the court’s order to open their defense.
When the matter was called on Tuesday, December 17, NAM1 appeared in court without his lawyers. He had previously been represented by lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo. In response to the court’s inquiry about the absence of his legal team, NAM1 requested the opportunity to address the court in the absence of his lawyers, stating, “My lawyer and I have a difference. One that is so fundamental to the extent that it places a point of divergence for us.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mrs. Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, reacted to NAM1’s request by reminding the court of the ongoing trial’s history. She also highlighted the accused person’s “deliberate” attempts to avoid opening their defense.
The DPP informed the court that a stay of proceedings application had been filed by NAM1 at the Court of Appeal on December 17, 2024, and stated that it was done without proper service to the Attorney General’s office. She suggested that the application for a stay was likely filed on NAM1’s instructions, despite the court’s ruling to move forward with the defense.
“This is more so when on July 11, 2024, this court gave a ruling on a submission of no case and called upon the accused persons to open their defense,” the DPP stated. She further pointed out that the accused had failed to file witness statements by the court-ordered deadline of October 16, 2024, but the case was adjourned to October 29, 2024, to accommodate them.
The trial continues as NAM1’s legal team and the court work through the ongoing legal matters.
