Lawyer for NAM1 wrote a letter of commendation to us for good job done – Investigator to Court

The investigator in the ongoing trial of Chief Executive Officer of Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah popularly known as NAM1 has dismissed accusations from lawyer of the accused of having done a shoddy work.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Charles Nyarko, who is the 8th Defence Witness, said the team of investigators who scrutinized the NAM1’s case exhibited professionalism at all times.

He also told the court that, the good job they did caught the eyes of Defence lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo to the extent that the counsel for the accused wrote a letter of commendation for the good job done.

Lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo in the concluding part of his cross-examination of the investigator, accused the police of not doing a good job.

“I am suggesting to you that the sum of money bandied about in your evidence-in-chief does not have any independent verification before this court,” lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo put to the witness.

In his response, the investigator (PW8) said he disagreed with that suggestion from counsel and explained how counsel wrote a letter commending them for their good job.

“Our team did a very neutral job without any bias involved in this case,” the investigator stated, “My lord, to the extent that counsel (Mr Kwame Boafo Akuffo) for the accused wrote a letter of commendation for the team for doing a good job,” the witness told the Court.

Counsel wondered why such a letter was not attached to his witness statement to the court so he could have the opportunity to be heard.

The witness also told the court that, “Our investigation did not establish that 2nd second accused (Menzgold Ghana Limited) directly informed the complainants that it had authority from SEC (Security and Exchange Commission).”

“However, as I mentioned earlier, the representation made between A2 (Menzgold Ghana Limited) and our complainants, that it had a clear and qualified right to deal in gold suggested that our complainants were dealing with an entity authorized to do such a business,” the investigator told the court.

On December 20, 2023, the trial officially began with Stephen Attopoe, a civil engineer called by the prosecution as the first witness (PW1).

Subsequently, the prosecution called Edward Otu Larbi, a sales manager (PW2), Rose Ocran, a businesswoman (PW3), Benjamin Baffoe, a miner (PW4), Priscilla Adu Boateng, a trader (PW5), Fred Odame Asiedu,a businessman (PW6), Mrs. Rose Ocran, a businesswoman (PW7) and ASP Charles Nyarko, the investigator as PW8.

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the prosecution closed their case with the investigator, DSP Charles Nyarko as their 8th witness.

Prosecution had initially wanted to call 11 witnesses but reduced it to eight.

The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu Dapaa, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge has since ordered Defence lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo to file his submission of no case to answer by April 15.

This was after Counsel gave the indication that he would file a submission of no case for his clients.

The Prosecution on the other hand has up to May 6, 2024 to file their reply of the submission of no case.

EIB Network Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Onusah, reports that, Justice Owusu-Dapaa, said the parties would be given 20 minutes each to highlight the key points on May 14 before the Court will give directions on its ruling.

Not guilty

NAM1 and two of his companies – Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult Ghana Limited, have been charged with 39 counts of selling gold without licence, operating a deposit-taking business, inducement to invest, defrauding by false pretence, fraudulent breach of trust and money laundering.

The allegations leveled against them relate to them defrauding their customers various sums of monies between 2016 and 2018, totaling GH¢340,835,650.

NAM1 has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and is on a bail of a GH¢500 million with four sureties.