NAM 1 trial to go virtual over health issue

Court proceedings in the criminal case against Nana Appiah Mensah will no longer take place in the usual physical format after an Accra High Court approved virtual hearings on medical grounds.

The change followed the submission of a doctor’s excuse on behalf of the former Menzgold chief executive. In that note, his medical team advised that he should avoid intense physical activity, leading the court to opt for electronic participation instead of in-person appearances.

Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, is one of the central figures in the legal fallout from the collapse of Menzgold, the gold dealership whose failure left large numbers of customers claiming losses.

He is facing several criminal counts, among them allegations of defrauding by false pretence, operating a gold trading venture without a licence and engaging in money laundering. He has denied every charge and remains on bail.

The trial has been running as part of the state’s long-standing effort to prosecute matters arising from the Menzgold scandal. In earlier proceedings, the High Court directed him to begin presenting his defence.