The state has filed fresh charges against Nana Appiah Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited, at the Accra High Court.
The charges include 22 counts of defrauding by false pretenses, seven counts of fraudulent breach of trust, seven counts of money laundering and one count each of selling gold without license and operating deposit-taking without license.
The plea of Nana Mensah, also known as NAM1, will be taken on December 4.
Per the new charge sheet, the GH¢1.6 billion in the previous hearing has been reduced to GH¢340 million.
Mrs Yvonne Atakora Oboubisa, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) who is the prosecutor, told the court presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, a Court of Appeal judge, sitting with additional responsibility as High Court judge that the prosecution filed disclosures and witness statement and served the accused.
In a related development, Justice Owusu-Dapaah ordered the registrar of the court to beef up security and screening of all court users.
This order was given by the judge following a request by Kwame Boafo Akuffo, counsel for accused, who complained that one of the workers of his client was hit in the head by an aggrieved customer.
Ms Oboubisa said she was unaware of the development, but conceded that proper screening be done on all court users.
Nana Appiah’s case had dragged on for years as the aggrieved customers asked for justice.
At the Accra Circuit Court, one of the judges threatened to discharge accused over adjournments and delay of advice from the Attorney-General’s (A-G) Department.
The state later discontinued the case at the Circuit Court and filed fresh charges against the accused at the High Court.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
