ACCRA, GHANA – December 10, 2025 – Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed a final attempt by embattled businessman Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, to suspend his criminal trial. The ruling upholds previous court orders directing the former Menzgold CEO to open his defence against multiple fraud-related charges.
The decision, delivered on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, marks a significant turning point in the long-delayed case, paving the way for the High Court trial to proceed after years of legal challenges.
Case Background and Charges:
Nana Appiah Mensah, along with his companies Brew Marketing Consult and Menzgold Ghana Limited, faces a total of 39 criminal charges. The charges stem from the operations of Menzgold, a company that offered high-yield gold investment schemes without the required licenses from the Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Core Charges Include:
- Selling gold without a licence
- Operating a deposit-taking business without authorisation
- Defrauding by false pretense
- Fraudulent breach of trust
- Money laundering
Timeline Of The Legal Battle:
The path to the Supreme Court ruling involved multiple layers of the judiciary over the past year:
July 2024: High Court Order
· After the prosecution called nine witnesses and closed its case, NAM1 filed a “submission of no case.”
· The High Court, presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, dismissed this submission. In a 110-page ruling, the court stated that a prima facie case had been established, and ordered NAM1 and his companies to open their defence.
May 2025: Court of Appeal Dismissal
· NAM1’s legal team appealed the High Court’s decision and simultaneously applied to the Court of Appeal to stay (halt) the trial proceedings pending the appeal.
· On May 19, 2025, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the stay application. The panel, including Justices Gbiel Suurbaareh, Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, and Christopher Archer, found that NAM1 had failed to demonstrate “exceptional circumstances” to justify suspending the trial.
· Following this loss, NAM1 told reporters, “It doesn’t end here. We still have the Supreme Court,” indicating his intent to appeal further.
December 2025: Supreme Court Final Verdict:
The Supreme Court has now dismissed NAM1’s application, which sought to overturn the rulings of both lower courts.
· The apex court affirmed that the High Court trial must continue without further delay, compelling NAM1 to comply with the original order to open his defence.
Reactions to the Ruling:
The Supreme Court’s decision has been met with relief by the representatives of Menzgold’s aggrieved customers.
Frederick Forson, the spokesperson for the customers, welcomed the ruling, calling it a “step toward justice.” He confirmed that the trial is set to resume promptly, stating, “Our understanding is that the High Court trial can now proceed… We will return to the High Court on the 16th, which is next week. We are very happy, and we appreciate what the court has done, just that it has kept long”.
State prosecutors, who had previously argued that NAM1’s repeated attempts to stay proceedings were an effort to “overreach the powers of the court,” have successfully opposed the delays.
What Happens Next:
With all avenues to suspend the trial exhausted, the case will return to the High Court. Key immediate next steps are:-
· December 16, 2025: The High Court trial is scheduled to resume, where NAM1 is expected to begin presenting his defence.
· December 17, 2025: The Supreme Court is expected to file its detailed reasons for dismissing the application.
In a related development, the government has begun the process of managing assets confiscated from NAM1. Attorney General Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has stated that a decision on whether to sell or repurpose these assets will be made by Cabinet, with proceeds potentially being paid into the Consolidated Fund.
The Broader Context: The Menzgold Collapse
The trial is the culmination of a financial scandal that began in 2018 when regulators shut down Menzgold for operating without a license. The company had attracted thousands of investors with promises of high returns on gold investments. Its collapse eroded the savings of a significant number of Ghanaians, making it one of the country’s most prominent financial fraud cases.
Story By: Nortei Nabi Akoso
