KEY POINTS
- Supreme Court dismisses NAM 1’s application to stop High Court trial.
- NAM 1 trial proceedings must continue without further delay.
- Charges include gold trading without licence, fraud, and money laundering.
The Supreme Court of Ghana has ruled down an appeal from Nana Appiah Mensah, often known as NAM 1, to change the decisions issued by the High Court and Court of Appeal in his continuing criminal case.
The decision ensures that the NAM 1 trial will continue without any more delays. NAM 1, the former CEO of Menzgold Ghana Limited, which is no longer in business, is facing a number of criminal charges, including selling gold without a license, breaking trust fraudulently, defrauding under false pretenses, and money laundering.
The NAM 1 trial will not be delayed
The High Court directed NAM 1 to start his defense in 2024, but he has always fought this ruling. At first, his lawyers moved to the Court of Appeal to ask for a postponement in the case while they challenged the High Court’s judgment.
Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh led the three-member panel, which also included Justices Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe and Christopher Archer. They all decided to deny the request. The court said that there were no specific reasons that would have made it permissible to stop the trial. The prosecutors argued that the applicant tried to “overreach the powers of the court.”
The Supreme Court says that the steps should continue
After then, NAM 1 went to the Supreme Court to try to get the appellate verdict overturned. On Wednesday, December 10, the Supreme Court struck down the application and directed the High Court to start his defense.
The verdict underscores how crucial it is for the courts to act promptly in high-profile cases and that this issue will continue to be a national priority. People who are watching argue that the outcome makes legal precedent about appeals and the limits of court intervention in ongoing trial proceedings stronger.
People will still be interested in how the defense handles the many claims as the trial continues on. Both legal professionals and the general public are still paying attention to the case.
