The Supreme Court of Ghana has dismissed an application filed by Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM 1, bringing an end to his latest attempt to halt the ongoing criminal trial against him.
The ruling affirms earlier decisions of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal and clears the path for the long-running case to proceed without further delays.
NAM 1, the former Chief Executive Officer of the collapsed Menzgold Ghana Limited, is facing several serious charges, including selling gold without a licence, fraudulent breach of trust, defrauding by false pretence, and money laundering.
These charges stem from the alleged mismanagement and investment losses suffered by thousands of customers following the shutdown of Menzgold’s operations.
In 2024, the High Court directed him to open his defence after prosecutors closed their case. Instead of proceeding, NAM 1 repeatedly challenged the ruling, filing appeals and applications aimed at stopping the trial from moving forward. His legal team argued that the directive to open his defence was improper and requested that the proceedings be paused while their appeal was considered.
However, the Court of Appeal rejected this request, ruling that NAM 1 had failed to demonstrate exceptional grounds necessary to justify the suspension of an active criminal trial.
The appellate court also agreed with state prosecutors, who insisted that granting a stay would amount to an attempt to “overreach the powers of the court” and cause undue delay in a matter of significant public interest.
The three-member panel of the Court of Appeal—comprising Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, and Justice Christopher Archer—unanimously dismissed the application, reinforcing the High Court’s position.
Following his defeat at the appellate level, NAM 1 escalated the matter to the nation’s highest court, seeking relief from the Supreme Court. His application aimed to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling and halt the trial once again.
But on Wednesday, December 10, the Supreme Court firmly dismissed his application, ruling that the High Court acted within its authority when it ordered NAM 1 to open his defence.
The decision ends his last available avenue for delaying the trial and compels him to return to the High Court to respond to the allegations against him.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is a decisive moment in a case that has captured public attention for years, given the scale of the alleged financial losses and the thousands of affected customers.
For many observers, the ruling signals renewed momentum in the judicial process and reflects the courts’ commitment to ensuring that high-profile cases are resolved efficiently and transparently.
With this latest decision, the criminal proceedings against NAM 1 will now continue at the High Court, where he is expected to open his defence in compliance with the court’s directive.
The outcome of the trial remains of significant national interest as many await justice and closure in one of Ghana’s most widely discussed financial scandals.
