General News of Friday, 12 July 2019

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Prosecuting NAM 1 not the best option for the State - Maurice Ampaw

Maurice Ampaw, Legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw, Legal practitioner

A private legal practitioner and vocal Menzgold investor, Maurice Ampaw says government maintaining the option of a Lawsuit against the embattled gold dealership CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah popularly known as NAM 1 could frustrate efforts to settle customers’ locked up investments.

“The wayforward is not about prosecution; the wayforward is how best we can retrieve customers locked up investment. We can take him to court to secure bail for him, but immediately after the court bail, the Police should take advantage of the Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) meaning out of court settlement declared by the Chief Justice and to be promoted by all the courts, so that all stakeholders can meet NAM 1 and see how best he can mobilize resources in settling his customers,” he told Kasapa 102.5 FM.

The Criminal Investigations Department(CID) of the Police Service is this morning preparing to arraign embattled CEO of defunct firm Menzgold Nana Appiah Mensah aka NAM 1 after he landed in Ghana on Thursday.

He has been in custody in Dubai since last year.

He has been slapped with three charges, money laundering, illegal deposit taking and defrauding by false pretenses.

A bail request by his lawyers was turned down by the CID.

Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Lawyer Maurice Ampaw intimated that NAM 1’s detention and subsequent arraignment in court is largely on the basis of his own security and protection.

“NAM 1 is not free as we see it; aggrieved customers could ambush him and harm him on the streets if he’s allowed to be moving freely. Just consider the people who are deceased now, as well as the agony and pain people are enduring because of this Menzgold matters. So his Security is an issue and he needs State protection even after he’s given bail today in court.”

Lawyer Maurice Ampaw has advised that it’ll be in the interest of the troubled gold dealership firm to arrange meetings with customers across the country for the CEO to address customers and intensify confidence building measures in the interim.

“They may want to have that rapport with him so that the cracking questions playing out in their minds they’ll have the opportunity to ask him directly, but off-course with security presence,” Maurice Ampaw suggested.

NAM 1 recently won his court case against Horizon in the $39 million gold trial.

Meanwhile, Menzgold Ghana Limited has dismissed reports that its CEO Nana Appiah Mensah faces fresh charges in Dubai.