A long-standing block-making factory, Mergtin Company, operating on Tema Development Corporation (TDC) land on the Abattoir Road, has been demolished, following what the owner describes as a questionable court ruling.
The factory owner, who is a squatter on the said land which was given to the Department of Roads and Highways, claims to have operated on the land for over 20 years.
She insists that she had an understanding with TDC to use the space for her business.
She further alleges that the land was originally a forest area, which she developed by bringing in water and electricity to make it operational.
According to her, despite her contributions to the area and his factory’s involvement in supplying blocks for government’s affordable housing projects, she was abruptly served with a court summons by one Michael Bortei a.k.a Shiny.
The case which originally was heard at the Tema Magistrate Court, was thrown out when the Plaintiff (Michael Bortei) decided to discontinue the case when TDC joined the suit.
TDC decides to join the case since the land in question does not belongs to the business and for that matter she cannot be sued.
Another ruling was ostensibly secured by the said Michael Bortey leading to the demolishing of her factory.
According to her the legal proceedings were flawed, alleging that the plaintiff abandoned the case at a point at the Tema Magistrate Court when TDC joined the case.
She was surprised to see another judgment passed which erroneously gave the Michael Bortei the audacity to cause the demolition of her company.
She further argues that she was never invited for questioning by the police before a bench warrant was issued against her.
The affected businesswoman accuses the court and other stakeholders of unfair treatment, emphasizing that TDC remains the rightful custodian of the land, and at no point in time did she lay claim over the said land, and that the Plaintiff’s action should rather be directed at TDC if indeed, he is sure the land belongs to him and since he was fraudulently laying claim over the land, he abandoned the case at the Tema Magistrate Court when TDC joined the case.
According to her, the Magistrate Court dismissed the suit Michael Bortei filed against her when TDC joined the case because Michael Bortei told the court he was not interested in pursuing the matter.
While the demolition took place last week, concerns remain over the legal process and whether due diligence was followed before carrying out the action.
The businessman insists he was merely a caretaker of the land and not its owner, questioning why he was targeted in the legal battle.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the case, but the demolition has sparked debates on land rights and legal transparency in Ghana.
