The Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold, have expressed disappoint at government for making a U-turn to claim there are no laws to prosecute NAM1 for duping customer through a Ponzi scheme.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Frederick Forson, says the government promised them it will prosecute NAM1 four (4) years ago but up till now, the case has seen no progress, only for authorities to say he (NAM1) cannot be prosecuted.
“We are really pained to hear NAM1 cannot be prosecuted. For almost 4 years the government said it had a solid case against NAM1 but, after 3 years in court and the death of 183 people, the gov’t is now saying it is difficult to prosecute him. The gov’t has deceived us and the death of our people have all been useless. As a nation we have collectively killed 183 people and it is just sad,” he lamented to Happy98.9FM’s Don Kwabena Prah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ political talk show.
As major stakeholders in the NAM1 case, the aggrieved customers of Menzgold went to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) in 2018 to seek information on the trial’s progress but to no avail.
Few weeks back, they visited the offices of EOCO for an update on the seized and auctioned properties of NAM1 and still hit a brick wall.
Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO), has stated that it is becoming difficult to find evidence to prosecute Nana Appiah Mensah, otherwise known as NAM 1, the former CEO of Menzgold.
The EOCO boss explained that nothing is a crime until it is made a crime by legislation.
She stated that, “sometimes you know someone has committed a crime but lack the relevant law to support your case.”
“An example is the Menzgold case. Which law, which Act did he break? And it is becoming difficult even prosecuting that case because no law will define the offence,” the EOCO boss stated.
NAM 1 is facing 63 counts of money laundering, stealing and taking deposits without authority.
He had pleaded not guilty to all the initial charges levelled against him by the State.
Nana Appiah Mensah was initially charged with abetment of crime, defrauding by false pretenses, carrying on a deposit-taking business without a license, sale of minerals without a license, unlawful deposit-taking, and money laundering.
He has reportedly taken various sums of money, totaling GH¢1.6billion, from customers.
