State amends charges against NAM1; increases counts to 61

Nana Appiah Mensah who is popularly referred to as NAM1 has been accused of defrauding about 16,000 people of GH¢1.68 billion with the excuse of investing their monies. His current 16 counts of different charges have been changed to 61 counts.

The charges include defrauding by false pretences, abetment to defraud by false pretences, carrying deposit business without a licence, abetment of sale of minerals without a licence, sale of minerals without a licence, abetment to the unlawful deposit-taking, unlawful deposit-taking and money laundering.

Background

NAM1 arrived in Ghana on July 11, 2019, after he faced a lawsuit in Dubai. When he arrived in Ghana, he was picked up by security operatives at the Kotoka International Airport and sent to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for questioning.

He has been accused of defrauding his customers of about GHc1.68 billion.

The earlier charge sheet indicated that the money was from 16,000 people who invested a total of GHc1,680,920,000 in the company.

The earlier charge sheet also indicated that Mr Appiah Mensah’s two companies — Brew Marketing Consult and Menzgold Ghana Limited; represented by him, have also been charged with defrauding by false pretence, contrary to sections 20 (1) and 13 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The State also charged Mr Appiah Mensah’s sister and his wife, Benedicta Appiah and Rose Tetteh respectively, with two counts of abetment to defraud by false pretence and two counts of abetment to carry out banking business without a licence, contrary to Section 6 (1) of Act 930.

The charge sheet explained that the accused persons purportedly aided Brew Marketing Consult and Menzgold to defraud the customers.

Provide list of NAM1’s alleged 16,000 accusers – Lawyer to Prosecutors

Meanwhile, the lawyer for NAM1 has asked the State to provide the list of the alleged 16,000 complainants who claimed that they have been defrauded by his client.

Lawyer of NAM1, Kwame Akuffo during an earlier court hearing said that he will demand the state to list all the 16,000 persons who are said to be complainants in the case brought by the state.

NAM1 is on a GHC1 billion bail granted by the circuit court and is expected to return on the 23rd of October 2019.