Focus on retrieving locked up cash - Afenyo-Markin advises

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin says prosecuting Menzgold's boss, Nana Appiah Mensah could be dangerous.

He says such prosecution will make customers of the gold trading firm lose all their investments.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that it will not be in the interest of customers to pursue the matter as a criminal case because they may lose their monies eventually.

“[With] criminal prosecution, let’s tread cautiously. Even in advanced jurisdictions, the government will prefer to cut a deal to save a situation than to rush to court and begin a criminal prosecution,” he noted.

Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Board Chairman of the Ghana Water Company Limited, bemoaned the politicization of the Menzgold saga.

“For customers or clients of Menzgold, they should remain calm, their violent approach is needless. And for those who think they can politicize it, I tell them it is much ado about nothing,” he advised.

" . . If you prosecute the man, and you look at the Financial Task-force Regulation, there is a strong recommendation for a civil forfeiture procedure in matters as complicated as we find it now. Again, you wouldn’t get what you want," he added.

Government has sent a high powered government to Dubai to press for the extradition of CEO of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah.

The delegation includes Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, a representative from the Economic Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and National Security.

Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, is wanted for defrauding by false pretence and an allegation of money laundering after his company failed to pay customers investments.

An Accra Circuit Court issued a warrant for his arrest last week but a press release by the police Monday indicates that NAM1 has already been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital on December 7 after “a gold deal gone wrong.”