Deputy finance minister disputes Maame Tiwaa’s claims about prosecution of NAM 1

Deputy Minister for Finance, John Ampontuah Kumah, has said that state prosecutors in charge of the case against Menzgold CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah alias NAM 1, hold a view contrary to that of the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO), Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah.

Maame Tiwaa Addo Danquah speaking at a recent forum

Read full articleraised concerns about the case against Nana Appiah Mensah noting that the state is finding it difficult to find evidence to prosecute NAM 1 due to a lack of evidence and appropriate legal provisions.

“An example is the Menzgold case. Which law, which Act did he break? And it is becoming difficult even prosecuting that case because no law will define the offence,” she said.

But speaking on Saturday, August 20, 2022, edition of Newsfile monitored by GhanaWeb, the Deputy Minister for Finance underscored that the Attorney General’s office holds a position contrary to the EOCO boss on the viability of the state’s case against NAM 1.

According to him, the state remains bent on pursuing its case against the Chief Executive Officer of the defunct investment firm.

He emphasised that the Attorney General’s office has not expressed any difficulty proceeding with the prosecution of NAM 1 contrary to Maame Tiwaa’s statement.

“First of all, let me just put it out there that the Attorney General has not come out with any statement on the prosecution status of Menzgold, and so a comment by the Executive Director of EOCO does not represent the position of the prosecutors in this matter. So we need to put that clear,” he said.

He added that the government is resolved in ensuring that the case against NAM 1 is pursued to its conclusion.

“As far as government is concerned, we think that the matter is in court. We have heard the difficult painful stories of customers and victims of Menzgold, but sometimes if you can recall, when government decided to intervene in this illegality, the posture of the same customers and victims and how they even fought against government not to interfere and leave NAM 1 alone and they trusted that he’ll deliver and come and pay them.

“So some of these things we have gone a full haul to get to where we are but as far as government is concerned the prosecution is going on,” he said.

NAM 1 has been slapped with 14 charges of money laundering, stealing, taking deposits without authority, defrauding by false pretenses, abetment of crime, sale of minerals without license, carrying on a deposit without license amongst others.

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