Supreme Court rejects NAM 1’s bid to halt criminal trial, orders him to open defence

Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM 1 and CEO of the defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited, is now set to open his defence in his ongoing criminal trial.

This follows the Supreme Court’s dismissal of his application seeking to overturn rulings by both the Court of Appeal and the High Court. NAM 1 had requested the appellate court to stay the trial while an appeal challenging a High Court order directing him to open his defence was pending.

The High Court, in 2024, ordered him to open his defence in a case in which he faces multiple charges, including selling gold without a licence, fraudulent breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence, and money laundering. Following that ruling, his legal team filed an appeal seeking to overturn the directive while simultaneously applying to halt the proceedings.

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On 19 May 2025, state prosecutors urged the Court of Appeal to reject the stay application, arguing that it sought to overreach the powers of the court and did not provide sufficient grounds to justify suspending the trial. A three-member panel, led by Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh and joined by Justices Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe and Christopher Archer, unanimously dismissed the request.

NAM 1 subsequently approached the Supreme Court to challenge the appellate court’s decision. On Wednesday, 10 December 2025, the Apex Court dismissed his application, affirming that he must open his defence as ordered.

Menzgold Ghana Limited was a gold trading and investment company that attracted thousands of investors with promises of high returns.

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The company collapsed in 2018 after authorities determined it was operating illegally, leaving many clients unable to recover their investments. Since then, NAM 1 has faced multiple legal proceedings relating to allegations of financial mismanagement, fraud, and operating without proper licensing.

The case has drawn widespread national attention and remains a symbol of investor risk and regulatory gaps in Ghana’s gold trading sector.

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Meanwhile, spokesperson for the aggrieved Menzgold customers, Frederick Forson, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, describing it as an important step towards justice.