The Ghana Police Service and Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) have said the embattled Menzgold CEO be available in the country upon final determination of his case in Dubai.
Nana Appiah Mensah popularly called NAM1, a joint statement by Public Affairs of the Police Service, ACP David Eklu and EOCO Executive Director, Abu Issah on Friday said faces misdemeanour charges in the UAE.
This came to light after a delegation of security officers from the Police, EOCO, National Security and the Deputy Attorney General went to Dubai where NAM1 has been arrested since December 7, 2018.
The mandate of the delegation was to determine the nature of the legal process against NAM1 in the UAE as well as the most appropriate means by which Ghana can have custody of him to assist with an investigation involving Menzgold.
An Accra Circuit Court issued a warrant for his arrest on January 9, and also alerted Interpol.
Nana Appiah Mensah is wanted for defrauding by false pretence and alleged money laundering. This was after his company Menzgold failed to pay thousands of clients’ returns on their investments.
There has been agitation from clients since September 2018 when the Securities and Exchange Commission ordered his company to shut down its so-called gold trading operation.
Even though state security arrested Mr Appiah Mensah, this arrest was not known until news of his escape broke two weeks ago.
NAM1 was on a self-recognizance bail but still managed to elude security to travel to Dubai – a feat that has fed fledging conspiracy theories.
According to the statement, “Prior to this, he was cooperating with EOCO as part of its investigations into a possible misdemeanour in breach of Banks and Special Deposit-taking Institution, Act 2016 (Act 930) as reported to it by the Bank of Ghana.”
“Upon a breakdown of cooperation EOCO employed other strategies including the use of associates and collaborating with other security agencies to make him available for further investigations. At the same time person in the UAE employed similar methods in getting Mr Mensah to visit the UAE where he was subsequently apprehended,” it added.
The arrest in the United Arab Emirates, a member of Interpol, is however for a different incident albeit the same gold-trading business.
Meanwhile, NAM1 is said to have provided an extensive statement to the officers who visited him in Dubai to assist in investigations into the matter for further action.
EOCO and the Police Service said they shall continue with investigations and processes aimed at bringing a resolution to the Ghana matter while following due process.
