The said event which was scheduled for Saturday, September 12 202 was expected to see customers of the defunct company from various parts of the country converge on Dzorwulu, Accra to observe the ceremony.
However, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) James Oppong-Boanuh filed an injunction to prevent them from holding the event after they had informed the police and requested security protection.
“It is hereby ordered that the respondents, the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold Ghana, Isaac Nyarko and Fred Forson are hereby restrained from the intended demonstration to commemorate two years of the collapse of Menzgold Company,” the injunction document signed by Justice of the High Court, Stephen Oppong directed.
According to the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold, the event was just meant to be a solemn wreath-laying ceremony in commemoration of customers who lost their lives as a result of the locking up of their investments.
READ ALSO: New law passed in Nigeria prescribes castration as penalty for rapists
“Since the collapse of the company, we have lost over 60 members and many have become bed-ridden due to the continued lock-up of our investment in Menzgold. It is our expectation that your outfit will provide security to help bring the programme to a successful because it will be highly-violent free. The programme is expected to last for two hours with an expected attendance of more than 200 people,” the Coalition said in a statement to the IGP requesting security for the ceremony.
Menzgold collapse
Menzgold was asked to suspend its gold trading operations with the public by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2018.
According to the SEC, Menzgold had been dealing in the purchase and deposit of gold collectables from the public and issuing contracts with guaranteed returns with clients, without a valid license from the Commission.
This, the SEC said was in contravention of “section 109 of Act 929 with consequences under section 2016 (I) of the same Act.”
The company was however cleared to continue its “other businesses of assaying, purchasing gold from small-scale miners and export of gold.”
Despite initial protests, Menzgold complied with the directive.
Two years on, the company has failed to fully pay its numerous aggrieved customers the value on their gold deposits as well as their entire investments.