Release NAM 1 from INTERPOL custody in Dubai - Menzgold staff petition govt

Graphic Online Apr - 24 - 2019 , 13:23 3 minutes read

Some staff of the troubled Menzgold company have petitioned the government to lift the INTERPOL alert on their boss, Nana Appiah Mensah alias NAM 1.

This, according to them, will enable NAM 1 to retrieve the $39 million from the Dubai based Diamond Royale Company which called for his arrest and later prosecution in Dubai.

Chairman of the group which describes itself as Loyal Staff of Menzgold, Derrick Danso Opoku, has told Graphic Online that, although NAM 1 has been acquitted and discharged by the court, he is still in police custody due to the INTERPOL alert on him.

According to him, NAM 1's continuous detention does not augur well for the company since he is unable to transact business to bring in money that can be used to settle customers.

In a press statement, the group said they have picked information that government was working with INTERPOL to extradite NAM 1 to Ghana and according to them, if that happens without NAM 1 being allowed to retrieve the $39 million from the Dubai based Diamond Royale Company, Menzgold would not be able to pay its customers.

To them, even the $39 million alone cannot settle Menzgold customers, so their boss should be allowed to work to earn more money to pay his customers.

They have therefore appealed to government to lift that alert so that NAM 1 can freed in Dubai and he can work on retrieving his money as ordered by the Dubai court before coming back to Ghana.

“What we are saying is that since he has won the case in Dubai and the company has 30 days to pay him his money but we hear government wants to bring him to Ghana before the 30 days. We are only pleading with government that at least we know where the person is, so take the Interpol alert off him so he can go about his work and bring money to pay his customers because the $39 million dollars is not enough to pay customers,” the "loyal" staff said.

“We the Loyal Staff of Menzgold humbly request the government of Ghana under the leadership of His Excellency the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to, first of all, declare Interpol free Nana Appiah Mensah (NAM 1) cannot come to Ghana without the said money to pay customers. That when the said money is paid, we as Loyal Staff can effect prompt payment to customers even with or without Nana Appiah Mensah’s presence.”

Background

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in January triggered an INTERPOL process in 194 member countries declaring NAM 1 a wanted man after he was charged with money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, among others.

Prior to the alert, the embattled business man had been arrested in Dubai last year and was facing trial for fraud.

He was however reported to have won the case in Dubai earlier this month; while the Dubai-based company which called for his arrest and later prosecution has been ordered to pay him all outstanding debts.