Ninety-two Menzgold customers arrested for besieging the residence of the embattled Chief Executive Officer, Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM1), on Tuesday, 14 January 2020, pleaded not guilty to all the four charges leveled against them.
The suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful entry, unlawful assembly and offensive conduct.
The lawyer for the aggrieved customers, Mr. Sam Atukwei Quaye, said his clients did nothing wrong by besieging the premises of NAM1 because they needed clarification on when their investment funds would be paid.
“They are not criminals; they are not people who will pose danger to society. When they went to NAM1’s house, unfortunately, they didn’t gain his attention. NAM1, realizing they have come there, called the police; they did not enter his house, they called the police, the police came in, they did their work, they ransacked about 92 of them outside the premises of Transacco.
“Now, in court, they have been charged with four counts – unlawful entry, unlawful assembly, offensive conduct and conspiracy to commit crime”, he said.
“Unfortunately”, he added, “Their leaders received communication just yesterday that they have to appear in court today, and most of them live in the Ashanti Region, some live in Western Region, Central Region, across the length and breadth of this country, so, they did not have time to come; only five came, those five have been charged”, said Mr Atukwei Quaye.
He appealed to the government to intervene in the matter so that the customers will have, if not all, some of their locked-up investments.
The case has been adjourned to 11 February 2019.