Nana Appiah Mensah aka NAM1
An Adentan Circuit Court in Accra has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of embattled Chief Executive Officer of now defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah, aka NAM1, and two others for allegedly conspiring to defraud by false pretences.
The warrant of arrest was issued by the court presided over by Her Honour Sedinam Awo Balokah, after NAM1 and his alleged accomplices namely Gabriel Kwamigah and Eric Amponsah Bediako failed to appear before the court for the trial for defrauding a complainant of an amount of $210,000.
The accused failed to appear before the court despite an order by the court for their lawyers to produce them before the court.
When the case was called yesterday, the investigator, Chief Inspector Lanyo, indicated that the accused persons have declined several invitations extended to them by the police.
He told the court that the police contacted one of the managers of NAM1’s company and criminal summons was served through him.
Yaw Dankwa, counsel for NAM1, however, debunked what the investigator told the court and countered that the accused persons were on their way to the court.
He then raised an objection to the processes filed by the prosecution, arguing that there are two separate processes – a charge sheet and a summons for the accused to appear before the court.
Mr. Dankwa told the court that the use of the two processes amounted to a ‘nullity’, and that should not be endorsed by the court.
The presiding judge however, stated that the fact that the lawyer was in court meant the accused persons deliberately refused to appear for the trial.
She said NAM1 and the others will keep sending the lawyer to court while they themselves would be somewhere else and not appear before the court, and she will not allow that to happen.
She, therefore, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of NAM1 and the other two accused persons, and adjourned the matter indefinitely.
Other Trial
NAM1, is already standing trial before an Accra Circuit Court together with his wife, Rose Tetteh, and his sister, Benedicta Appiah (both of whom are at large), on 13 counts of defrauding by false pretence, money laundering, abetment and carrying on deposit-taking business without licence.
The charges include six counts of defrauding by false pretence, abetment, money laundering and carrying on deposit-taking business without licence.
His companies – Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult Limited – have also been charged with seven counts of defrauding by false pretences, and carrying on deposit-taking business without licence.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak