The Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold (CACM) is urging the Speaker of Parliament to prioritize and address the motion that was filed on their behalf before the upcoming mid-year budget presentation on July 27, 2023.
According to the coalition, for nearly two years, Members of Parliament have failed to bring the issue to the forefront and discuss it on the parliamentary floor, despite the filing of the motion.
In a statement released in Accra on Tuesday, Frederick Forson, the Convener and PRO of the CACM, highlighted that the Attorney General has not provided them with information regarding the amount the state earned from the public auctioning of Menzgold assets. The coalition had made a request for this information under the Right to Information Act of 2019.
Forson further emphasized that the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), which is responsible for investigating the matter, publicly stated in 2022 that they were unsure which law Nana Appiah Mensah (also known as NAM1), the CEO of Menzgold, had violated, making his prosecution difficult. Surprisingly, the criminal prosecution against NAM1 has faced 35 different adjournments without any foreseeable progress. The CACM believes that the Attorney General’s lackadaisical approach towards prosecuting NAM1 reinforces EOCO’s assertion.
The collapse of Menzgold has had severe consequences on the lives of the CACM members, prompting them to call on the government to take necessary action. They have experienced economic, emotional, and social hardships, leading to the deaths of over 206 customers, including a university lecturer. Tragically, some individuals have taken their own lives, others have suffered from mental health issues, stroke, blindness, shattered dreams, and broken family relationships.
In summary, the CACM is seeking parliamentary attention to address their motion, demanding transparency regarding the state’s earnings from Menzgold’s assets and urging the government to provide assistance to the affected customers.
Source – citinewsroom.com
