The Supreme Court has thrown out an application filed by Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, seeking to stop his ongoing criminal trial. The decision upholds earlier rulings by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
NAM1 had asked the Court of Appeal to stay proceedings at the High Court while he pursued an appeal against a directive requiring him to open his defence.
The High Court had, in 2024, ordered the former Menzgold CEO to respond to several criminal charges, including operating without a gold trading licence, fraudulent breach of trust, defrauding by false pretence, and money laundering.
Following the High Court’s ruling, his legal team filed both an appeal and an application to halt the trial.
On May 19, 2025, state prosecutors opposed the request, insisting that the stay application sought to “overreach the powers of the court” and did not meet the threshold for suspending proceedings.
A three-member Court of Appeal panel—Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, and Justice Christopher Archer—dismissed the application unanimously.
Unhappy with that outcome, NAM1 escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. But on Wednesday, December 10, the Apex Court reaffirmed the lower courts’ decisions and ruled that NAM1 must open his defence as directed.
Frederick Forson, spokesperson for the aggrieved Menzgold customers, welcomed the ruling, describing it as long overdue but encouraging.
“We now understand that the High Court trial can proceed. We were informed that the court will provide its reasons on the 17th. As scheduled, we will be back in the High Court on the 16th. We are happy with the decision, even though the process has taken a long time,” he said.
