It is difficult to say none of 14 charges against Menzgold will stick – Martin Kpebu
It is difficult to say none of 14 charges against Menzgold will stick – Martin Kpebu
Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu says he is taken aback by the comments of the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) on how challenging it has become to prosecute the CEO of Menzgold.
Speaking on Newsfile, he stated that some of the 14 charges brought against Nana Appiah Mensah including the defrauding under false pretences can stand, should he be prosecuted for it.
Mr Kpebu explained that “NAM1 and Menzgold entered into an agreement with these customers. Simple logic, the agreement is signed and the customers bring gold to Menzgold, keep it, you give some interest over a period of time, and then subsequently you can return my gold.”
“So the question is that where is my gold? Have you returned it? If you haven’t, minimum, you should get stealing or defrauding by false pretence. Simple. If you look at the astronomically high-interest rate you can begin to see that Menzgold did not intend to actually return this gold,” Mr Kpebu added.
He said that justice should be served, adding that the case has not seen progress for about two years and that could create the impression that the law has failed to deal with Menzgold.
“For Maame Tiwaa to say it is difficult and all that, I lack words for it. Are you saying that out of these 14 charges none will stick? I think the best is that in these circumstances they should just hurry up and continue with the trial,” Mr Kpebu added.
His comment comes after EOCO’s Executive Director at a forum said that although the institution sometimes know people have committed crimes it is difficult to prosecute because it is difficult to identify the law they broke.
“An example is the Menzgold case. Which law, which Act did he break? And it is becoming difficult even prosecuting that case because no law will define the offence,” Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah said.
However, the private legal practitioner, Mr Kpebu disagreed with the EOCO; stating that at least one of the 14 charges brought against the Menzgold CEO can stand.
Mr Kpebu added that the slow pace of the prosecution of Menzgold and its CEO Nana Appiah Mensah is worrying.
He said that “I may be a lawyer but I am also a citizen. So the legal side of me says yes due process, but the lay man part of me says NAM1 has taken so much from our citizens and he is walking free.”
“So we can’t hide under our legal rules about due process and then it takes years. Because as far as I am aware for at least two years the case is not going anywhere and that is troubling.”
Mr Kpebu said that a trial process is a form of accountability that could give hope to the people but also set as a reminder to people who intend to go on the same part as Menzgold to desist.
Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister John Kumah says the position of the EOCO boss does not reflect that of the Attorney General who is in charge of the prosecution of Menzgold.
He stated that the case is still in court and the prosecutors in charge are working to bring justice to the aggrieved customers.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
