The High Court has ordered the Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Menzgold Company Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, to file his witness statement after attempting to give oral testimony in court.
The order comes after NAM1 opened his defence in the ongoing trial, following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of his application seeking to quash an earlier decision of the High Court.
NAM1 is facing charges of buying and selling gold without a licence, defrauding by false pretence, and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently on bail.
At proceedings on Monday, February 2, 2026, counsel for NAM1, led by Emmanuel Amoakohene, prayed the court to strike out an application to stay proceedings, explaining that the defence had withdrawn its judicial review application at the Supreme Court.
“We scheduled a motion to stay proceedings before you today. That application has, however, been rendered nugatory following the decision of the applicant to withdraw the substantive application before the Supreme Court. We therefore seek your leave to have our pending application struck out as withdrawn,” counsel submitted.
He, however, told the court that an appeal against the High Court’s decision at the Court of Appeal remains pending.
The prosecution, led by Senior State Attorney Watkins Adama, did not oppose the application, after which the court struck it out as withdrawn.
In his testimony, NAM1 told the court that Menzgold legitimately acquired operational licences from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) after undergoing what he described as extensive scrutiny.
According to him, the company completed all required documentation, paid the relevant fees and was issued a licence to operate after being subjected to PMMC’s internal screening processes.
He further explained that when the status of PMMC later changed following a government directive designating it as a national assay office instead of a licensing authority, Menzgold was advised to apply to the Minerals Commission.
NAM1 said the company complied with the directive, submitted a comprehensive profile detailing its intended business operations, paid all required fees and was eventually invited to sign the necessary documents, leading to approvals to operate.
When asked to produce proof of the licences, NAM1 told the court he would present the documents at the next adjourned sitting.
He further explained that following the shutdown of Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) took control of the company’s offices, which affected access to documents he intended to rely on as evidence.
Presiding judge Justice Sedinam Kwadam subsequently directed NAM1 to file his witness statement and attach all documentary evidence he intends to rely on in his defence.
The court ordered him to file the statement by February 9, and adjourned the case to February 19 for the continuation of proceedings.
