Former President John Mahama has been approached by the leadership of customers of the now-defunct Menzgold Company Limited, seeking his help in retrieving their funds locked in the illicit gold dealership and investment company.

The customers have suffered since the company was shut down in 2018, with 217 people dying and some suffering from blindness and mental illness.

The customers are now appealing to the former President to lead them in seeking a bailout from the state to alleviate their plight.

During a meeting with the former President in his Cantonments office on Friday, Mr Fred Forson, leader and spokesperson for the group, made an emotional plea to Mr. Mahama, stating that their situation was dire and that they desperately needed a state bailout.

“We believe that when Your Excellency adds your voice, it will help. Where we are now, we need a bailout from the state, so we humbly call on you to lead us in calling on the state to give us a bailout plan. Because life is very, very unbearable for us”, he cried out.

The Menzgold customers convener added, “The state has wasted over four years on this small matter. There was no action. I am sure everybody will attest that it was the resilience of the customers — we kept on pressing, pressing — and now the Attorney-General has moved the matter from the lower court to the High Court. However, the civil aspect, which is the retrieval of our money, is still pending.”

President Mahama offered his condolences to the victims, calling it one of the most unfortunate incidents in the country’s history. He believed that such fraudulent schemes often succeed due to government’s weak regulatory oversights, and therefore, it is responsible for citizens who fall prey.

He also wondered why the government is yet to take control of the company’s accounts, confiscate the company’s assets and auction them off, with the proceeds used to pay a portion of customer investments.

In response to the plea of the Menzgold customers, President Mahama pledged to join them in bringing attention to their plight. He urged the government to provide them with all the necessary information regarding its efforts to alleviate their situation.

The customers are hopeful that with the support of the former President, they will be able to retrieve their funds and recover from the losses they have suffered.