Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM 1, filed an application to reverse rulings from the Court of Appeal and the High Court in his ongoing criminal trial, but the Supreme Court rejected it.
The action comes after the Court of Appeal’s previous decision to deny NAM1’s request to stop High Court proceedings.
While an appeal contesting a High Court ruling forcing him to open his defense was underway, his legal team had requested that the appellate court postpone the trial.
The CEO of the now-defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited was ordered by the High Court in 2024 to present his defense in a case involving several counts against him, including money laundering, fraudulent breach of trust, selling gold without a license, and defrauding by false pretense.
Following the High Court’s decision, his attorneys simultaneously requested a stay of the proceedings and filed an appeal in an attempt to reverse the instruction.
State prosecutors requested the Court of Appeal to deny the delay request on Monday, May 19, 2025, claiming that it sought to “overreach the powers of the court” and did not provide any extraordinary justification for stopping the trial.
The request was unanimously rejected by a three-person panel led by Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh and consisting of Justices Christopher Archer and Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe.
NAM1 then appealed the appellate court’s ruling to the Supreme Court.
However, the Apex Court rejected his application on Wednesday, December 10, and upheld the requirement that he present his defense as directed.
Frederick Forson, a representative for the displeased Menzgold clients, praised the Supreme Court’s ruling and called it a start in the right direction.
“Our understanding is that the High Court trial can now proceed. Today, we were also told that they will file their reasons on the 17th of this month. So, as directed earlier, we will return to the High Court on the 16th, which is next week. We are very happy, and we appreciate what the court has done, just that it has kept long,” he said.
Source: newsthemegh.com