NDC Vice Chair, Opoku Darko In ‘Land Scam’

…Dragged To Court For Demolishing Private Property

The Greater Accra Regional  Ist Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ibrahim Jaja, who is battling myriads of land cases in courts, together with Charles Opoku Darko, who has had mentions in the infamous Nana Appiah Mensah case in the United Arab Emirate-dubai- is engrossed in another high-profile land scandal.

This time, a businessman who shuffles between Ghana and the United States of America, Garland Seawright Dodoo, has dragged the two and some five others to court for using heavy earth moving equipment to completely bulldoze large parts of his concrete fence wall; with the help of Land guards and thugs, and are developing the land day and night.

“Plaintiff avers that the Defendants have permanently stationed Land guards on the land while they are speedily developing the land day and night with the intention of wiping out all acts of possession of the Plaintiff on the land and to change the nature of the land”, a Writ of Summons, a copy of which is in the possession of this paper indicated.

According to the Plaintiff (Mr. Dodoo), the Defendants have pulled down structures on the land and are putting up a new fence at such supersonic speed around the land to prevent access onto his lawfully acquired land.

“Plaintiff avers that all attempts to stop the Defendants from their unlawful acts on the land have proved futile but have rather employed the service of armed men to intimate and harass the Plaintiff…”, the Writ stated.

The Plaintiff is therefore praying the court for an order for recovery of possession of the land, an order for the demolishing of all unlawful structures constructed on the land by the Defendants, his agents or anyone claiming through him, and a perpetual injunction to restrain the Defendants from further acts of interference and any trespass on Plaintiff’s Land, whether by themselves, their agents, servants, assigns, privies or any one claiming through or under them. 

The Writ of Summons dated 13th  January, 2020, says that Mr. Garland Seawright Dodoo  is the bonafide and lawful owner of all that piece of land known as Plot No. 167A and containing an approximate area of 0.41 acre situate at East Legon Ambassadorial  Enclave Planning Amendment Scheme in the Greater Accra, lying to and adjourning to the South Eastern edge of an unnamed  road and bounded  on the North-West by the  said unnamed road on the North-East by Plot No. 160A on the South East by an open space on the South West by a land which piece of  land is more particularly delineated on Plan No. L.D. 9414B/AC.7421.

That the land is part of the State Land acquired under certificate of Title dated the 1^st day of September, 1994.

He indicated that the land was initially acquired for Anti-Amaryl Aerodome Extension but later marked out by the Lands Commission for residential and commercial purposes after   the initial plan for the acquisition of the land by government fell through.

By virtue of this acquisition, according to Garland Seawright Dodoo, the entire area including the Plot of land allocated to Plaintiff herein remained Government land hence no family, including the Toboase Family of which the 5^th and 6^th Defendants are Heads could own or grant same.

Plaintiff avers that he made an application for a lease of the land to the Lands Commission.

Read excerpts of the Writ of Summons: Plaintiff avers the Commission wrote back to Plaintiff on the 18^th day of April, 1995, allocating Plot No. 167A (East Legon Ambassadorial Residential Area) to him.

Plaintiff avers that the said letter required him to make certain payments and after communicate to the commission if the said offer was acceptable to him, which conditions he fulfilled.

Plaintiff avers that after fulfilling the said conditions as stated in the letter, the AG. Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission wrote back on the 29^th day of May, 1995 granting him a right of entry to Plot No. 167A (East Legon Ambassadorial Residential Area).

Plaintiff avers that he immediately took possession of the said Plot of land and constructed a concrete fence wall around the entire plot of land granted to him.

Plaintiff avers that he immediately placed kiosks on the land for caretakers to ward off trespassers.

Plaintiff avers that on the 25^th day of November, 1996, the Government  of Ghana regularized the allocation and rights of entry by granting him a lease of 90 years of the  said Plot No. 167A (East Legon Ambassadorial Residential Area) which plot he has been in possession of since.

The Plaintiff avers that it is this lawfully acquired land that the Defendants acting together have trespassed onto, using heavy earth moving equipment to completely bulldoze large parts of Plaintiffs concrete fence wall with the help Land guards and thugs and are developing the land day and night.

Plaintiff avers that the Defendants have permanently stationed Land guards on the land while they are speedily developing the land day and night with the intention of wiping out all acts of possession of the Plaintiff on the land and to change the nature of the land.

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