Supreme Court Rules NAM 1 Must Defend Himself

The Supreme Court has dismissed an application by Nana Appiah Mensah, widely known as NAM 1, to overturn earlier rulings by the High Court and Court of Appeal regarding his criminal trial.

This decision effectively clears the path for the trial to proceed without further interruptions. NAM 1, the former Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited, is facing a raft of charges, including selling gold without the necessary license, fraudulent breach of trust, defrauding by false pretences, and money laundering.

The High Court, in 2024, had ordered NAM 1 to open his defence, a directive his legal team has consistently contested through a series of appeals. Previously, his lawyers sought a halt to the High Court proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

However, the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh, with Justices Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe and Christopher Archer, unanimously rejected this request. The court found no exceptional circumstances to warrant suspending the trial. Prosecutors at the time argued that the application was an attempt to “overreach the powers of the court.”

Undeterred, NAM 1 then took the matter to the Supreme Court, hoping to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling. But on Wednesday, December 10, the Supreme Court also dismissed his application, affirming the High Court’s directive for him to begin his defence.

This latest ruling signals the continuation of a highly publicized case that has captivated national attention. The legal battles have been protracted, but the courts have consistently maintained the need for the trial to proceed. “The law must take its course,” a legal observer commented, speaking off the record.

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