NAM 1 'prays' for time as he engages new lawyers

The embattled CEO of the now-defunct gold dealership company Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, has appealed to the court for additional time to secure and engage new legal representation. 

He explained that this request is vital to his efforts to prove his innocence both in court and to the international community.

On July 11, 2024, Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaa of the Accra High Court ordered NAM1 and his two companies to present their defense in response to 37 charges after dismissing a submission of no case.

 Following this, NAM1 Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult filed a motion to stay the court proceedings while appealing the July 11 ruling.

However, on December 5, the High Court dismissed the request for a stay of proceedings and instructed NAM1 to comply with its earlier order to begin his defense.

When the case resumed on December 17, NAM1 appeared in court without his legal team. In the past, he had been represented by lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo.

 Addressing the court about the absence of his lawyers, NAM1 explained, "My lawyer and I have a fundamental difference that creates a significant point of divergence between us."

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, responded to NAM1’s request by recounting the progress of the trial. She emphasized what she described as the accused’s deliberate attempts to avoid opening his defense.

Mrs. Obuobisa further informed the court that an application for a stay of proceedings had been filed at the Court of Appeal earlier that day, December 17, at 11:40 a.m., as reported by State Attorney Mr. Watkins Adamah. She noted that although a copy of the application was shown to Mr. Adamah, the Attorney General’s office had not been formally served.

According to the DPP, the application for a stay of proceedings was signed by NAM1’s counsel, Kwame Boafo Akuffo, indicating that it had likely been filed on NAM1’s instructions. She added that the application lacked a return date, raising doubts about its credibility.

Mrs. Obuobisa reminded the court that on July 11, 2024, the accused had been ordered to present witness statements by October 16, 2024, as part of their defense. However, the accused failed to comply, prompting the court to extend the deadline to October 29, 2024. 

Despite these opportunities, the defense remains unsubmitted, she argued, describing the accused’s conduct as intentional delays in the trial process.