In a major turn of events in the long-running legal battle involving Nana Appiah Mensah, CEO of the now-defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited, the Court of Appeal has firmly dismissed his request to stop his ongoing criminal trial.

Mensah, popularly referred to as NAM1, had petitioned the appellate court to pause the criminal case against him at the High Court. His application was submitted alongside an appeal contesting an earlier High Court decision that ordered him to open his defense in the matter.

In 2024, the High Court had ruled that Mensah must respond to multiple serious charges, such as running an unlicensed gold trading operation, fraudulent breach of trust, obtaining money under false pretenses, and money laundering.

Following the High Court’s directive, his lawyers filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, challenging the ruling. Alongside this appeal, they requested a temporary halt to the High Court proceedings until the appellate court ruled on their case.

However, their bid was unsuccessful. On May 19, 2025, state prosecutors convinced the Court of Appeal that the application was unfounded. They argued that Mensah’s request was an overreach of the court’s authority and did not present any extraordinary grounds to justify pausing the trial.

A three-judge panel—led by Justice Gbiel Suurbaareh, with Justices Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe and Christopher Archer in agreement—unanimously rejected Mensah’s application.

The decision was welcomed by representatives of Menzgold’s aggrieved customers. Frederick Forson, speaking on their behalf, praised the ruling as a significant milestone in their fight for justice.

Meanwhile, Mensah has signaled plans to appeal further to the Supreme Court, following legal advice. This indicates that the drawn-out legal battle over Menzgold’s collapse is not yet concluded, prolonging the wait for thousands of affected investors seeking closure.

The rejection of this latest appeal deals a blow to the defense and clears the path for the criminal trial to move forward in the High Court.