By Beatrice Oppon
The Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of defunct gold dealership company MENZGOLD demanding a 200 million cedis bailout from President Akufo-Addo, and the Minister of Finance to help save members of the group from further deaths.
According to a Statement issued by the Convener and PRO of the group Fred Forson, about 230 customers have lost their lives in the struggle to reclaim their lost investments from MENZGOLD since 2020, when they first made the call for a bail out. The customers claim that the assurance with their demand is that all seized assets of MENZGOLD can serve as a form of guarantee.
The statement notes that the customers are fully aware of the criminal case at the Accra High Court and have cooperated with the Office of the Attorney General. They are of the opinion that government could retrieve the money later after the determination of the case at the High Court. The group, wants the President and Minister of Finance to respond to their request, by close of today Monday November 25. The Aggrieved Customers have threatened to vote out the NPP if their demand is not met. Meanwhile, the CEO of defunct Menzgold Nana Appiah Mensah also known as NAM1, is currently appealing the trial court’s dismissal of his Submission of No Case and has subsequently filed a Stay of Proceedings at the High Court.
On July 11, 2024, the trial Court dismissed his Submission of No Case and ordered him to open his defence to charges against him. NAM1 and his lawyer Kwame Akufo filed a Submission of No Case when the state closed its case after calling nine witnesses including a police investigator. They contended that the prosecution failed to prove the guilt of NAM1, MENZGOLD and Brew Marketing Consult.
The Court however affirmed the prosecution’s case against NAM1 and his Companies. In a 110 page ruling, Justice Owusu-Dapaa held that the state has established compelling evidence against him which warrants that he mounts his defence. At the last adjourned date, Lawyer Kwame Akuffo told the Court that he has filed a supplementary affidavit to the Motion to Stay Proceedings but the prosecution was yet to be served which prompted an adjournment of the trial to Tuesday November 26, 2024.
