NAM1’s family fighting Interpol arrest warrant in court

The family of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of troubled gold dealership firm, Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, areset to overturn, a circuit court arrest warrant issued to Interpol leading to the continuous holding of their son, affectionately called NAM1, in the custody of the Dubai Police.

The Herald, last week, picked up information from multiple sources that, the family is heading to court to reverse the Interpol arrest warrant issued last year, by an unnamed Ghanaian circuit court judge, which is keeping the embattled CEO, who was released weeks ago, by an Emirati court.

The arrest warrant is dated January 10, 2019 and numbered 01/2019. The effort to free Mr Appiah Mensah, is for him to follow up on the US$39 Million debt owed him by a Dubai-based Diamond Royale Company. The Dubai court, had ordered the company to pay him for gold bought from him.

Interestingly, the two-page Interpol document, said NAM1 owes customers only US$1.2 million, the equivalent of GHC5.4 billion.

In the Interpol alert sighted by The Herald, Ghana Police, had claimed that NAM1, had laundered money from “the public” to acquire a number of properties. The alert mentioned the properties as real estate, high value vehicles and a private jet.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, has argued that the embattled CEO, cannot be brought to Ghana just yet.

According to her, although Nana Appiah Mensah, has been cleared in a case that was brought against him in the Emirati capital, Dubai, he cannot be brought to Ghana, as has been demanded.

“When he was acquitted, we were advised that there is a period that is open to the complainant to lodge an appeal and until that has run out, we cannot go and get him out of the place.

“So we are having to wait out that period,” she said in an interview with Joy FM Drive Time host Lexis Bill on ‘Personality Profile’, Thursday.

Additional reports gathered by The Herald over the weekend, indicates that Diamond Royale Company, has filed an appeal in court, which if true, will further delay the coming of NAM1 back to Ghana.

Already, some workers of Menzgold, have appealed to the Akufo-Addo government, to exercise restraint in its attempt to have NAM1, forcibly extradited to Ghana by the Interpol office in Dubai, where he is currently pursuing a debt of US$39 million owed him by Diamond Royale Company.

According to the workers, who have constituted themselves into a group called, Loyal Menzgold Staff, it will be prudent for the government of Akufo-Addo to stop frustrating the young businessman’s quest to bring back to Ghana from Dubai, some $39 million he intends to use to pay his clients, whose funds have been locked up with the company since August 2018.

The Interpol document titled, “Fugitive wanted for prosecution” has two pictures of Nana Appiah Mensah, his biodata and other details including his passport number, drivers’ license, physical description residence among others.

According to the Ghanaian Police, Nana Appiah Mensa, had “laundered” the money from “the public” “…into the acquisition of real estate, high value vehicles and private jet”. The arrest warrant was issued by a Ghanaian Circuit Court Judge whose name was not mentioned in the document. It was dated 10 January, 2019 and numbered 01/2019.

But in a statement jointly signed by Mr Opoku Danso Derrick, Chairman; and Mr Collins KwakyeAnkomah, Spokesperson, the group said, Mr Appiah Mensah, cannot be able to successfully retrieve the money from the Dubai-based Diamond Royale Company, as ordered by an Emirati court, if the Interpol red alert issued by the government of Ghana on their CEO still holds. “Unconfirmed sources of information we have garnered have revealed the government of Ghana’s intention to have him extraditedwithout doing critical follow-ups to facilitate payment of the said money.

“We, the loyal staff of Menzgold, humbly request the government of Ghana, under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo, to, first of all, declare Nana Appiah Mensah Interpol-free to facilitate the retrieval or payment of the said money”, the group pleaded, adding: “Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM1) cannot come to Ghana without the said money to pay customers”.

The group said, “When the said money is paid, we, as loyal staff, can effect prompt payment to customers even with or without Nana Appiah Mensah’s presence. We strongly rely on your kind cooperation”, the statement said.

The Interpol alert in the custody of The Herald reads; “In December, 2013, suspect Nana Appiah Mensah incorporated two companies namely; MenzGold Ghana Limited and Brew MarketingConsult Limited. His wife Rose Tetteh and sister Benedicta Appiah are Directors of the companies. Suspect published a false representationto the public to place money with the two companies to purchase refined gold for sale and monthly returns up to 10% of amount placed to bepaid to the clients. Suspect Nana Appiah Mensah under his false pretext received money in excess of GH¢5.4 Billion (USD 1.2 Million) fromthe public but laundered same into the acquisition of real estate, high value vehicles and a private jet. He has since left the jurisdiction and isbelieved to be hiding in Nigeria, South Africa or elsewhere”.

It described him as “fugitive wanted for prosecution on the charge(s) defrauding by false pretenses and money launderingcontrary to section 131 of act 29/60 and section 1 of anti­money act as amended (act 874).

Expected action to be taken if Nana Appiah was “traced is to locate and arrest with a view to extradition: Assurances are given that extradition will be sought upon arrest of the person, in conformity with national laws and/or the applicable bilateraland multilateral treaties”.

PROVISIONAL ARREST:This request is to be treated as a formal request for provisional arrest, in conformity with national laws and/or the applicable bilateral andmultilateral treaties.Immediately inform NCB ACCRA Ghana (NCB reference: CID.IP.8/V.19/1945/E/ES of 10 January 2019) and the ICPO­INTERPOL GeneralSecretariat that the fugitive has been found.

Nana Appiah Mensah, had won a case against the Dubai Company, which had caused his arrest after some Ghanaians acting in partnership with some foreigners had succeeded in duping them. The company got him arrested simply because he knew the fraudsters some of whom are currently on the run.

But the Dubai court set him free and ordered Diamond Royale Company, to pay him for an amount of gold he had supplied the company. He is also to have his legal fees and compensation paid by the company per the court directive.

NAM 1, as he is popularly called, was arrested in Dubai sometime in December 2018 in an alleged botched gold business with a Ghanaian company, one of whose officials was known to him.

He is said to have landed in Dubai hoping to retrieve $39 million owed Menzgold by the Dubai-based company Diamonds Royale Company, for the supply of gold when he was arrested.

Mensah is reported to have won the case with the court ordering for all outstanding debts be paid him.

But the government’s failure to return the beleaguered CEO has angered some of the customers whose cash is still locked up following the closure of his company.The Attorney General, however, said INTERPOL has agreed with INTERPOL Ghana to cooperate in bringing him back.

But the question on the lips of many who have come across the Interpol document is that, is the US$1.2 million enough to purchase the number of properties including a private jet, houses, luxurious cars among other as the Police are alleging he laundered the money from the public to acquire?

Another question being asked is, why won’t the Akufo-Addo government and Ghanaian Police hold on to the Interpol arrest warrant and allow the MenzGold boss retrieve the US$39 million from a Dubai-based Diamond Royale Company to settle the customers back home in Ghana?