The Osu Traditional Council says it cannot trace $ 1.6 million it kept in a safe at the council’s secretariat before the building was razed down a few days ago.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), supposedly acting on the orders of the Lands Commission (LC) with full police backing razed down the structure last week.
Consequently, the stool has filed a contempt case at the Accra Fast Track High Court (FTC), arguing that all the perpetrators of the act had fore knowledge of a pending litigation at the same court over the land on which the secretariat was situated.
In the suit filed at the court last Friday, against some officials of the AMA and the Lands Commission, the stool claimed, “That at the time of the demolition, applicants had kept in their safe in the office an amount of One Million Six Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($1,600,000). The money and the cash box are missing.”
In addition, the stool says properties such as office equipment, furniture and fittings valued at several billions of cedis have been damaged. Thomas Agyare, an official of the AMA; J.E.K Dadson, Greater Accra Regional Lands Officer, and Alhaji Baryeh, Executive Secretary, LC are cited as first, second and third respondents respectively. Four others, Ocquaye Nortey, Nii Nortey Owuo III (deposed chief of Osu), Ikohops Investment Limited (owners of Amalgamated Bank) and Metropolitan Insurance Co. Ltd are joined in the contempt suit as fourth to seventh respondents respectively.
The suit stands in the names of Nii Ako Nortei IV, Osu Mankralo, Nii Nortey Omaboe, Osu Osiahene and Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, newly installed Chief of Osu. The applicants argue that “the respondents’ conduct is intentional, willful and meant to ridicule the authority of this Honourable Court and to interfere with the administration of Justice.” They are also of the conviction that the conduct of the respondents is to prevent the court from inquiring into matters and issues raised before the High Court about the premises of the Osu Traditional Council. The applicants insist that the “respondents are fully aware of their contemptuous acts and intend to continue unless this Honourable Court punishes the Respondents for Contempt of Court.” Thus, they prayed the court: “That respondents can only be restrained from such further criminal conduct by being sentenced to prison for willful disregard for the authority of the Court and contempt for administration of Justice.” The applicants reminded the court that it has “a duty to protect the integrity of the Judicial process and due process of law. This Court is duty bound to be severe on those who bring the administration of Justice into disrepute and seek to undermine the Rule of Law.” Meanwhile, the stool has asked the Ghana Police Service to immediately withdraw its men from the premises of the demolished secretariat to avoid being included in the contempt suit. “The police was excluded in the motion for contempt because we were told by the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander that if they knew that the ownership of the property was a matter in court they would not have encouraged this criminal enterprise. “We wish to advice you to have your men withdrawn immediately otherwise we shall have no choice than to have the police included in the contempt suit.” Last week, eyewitnesses said scores of armed police officers whose service numbers were conspicuously missing from their uniforms supervised the demolition of the secretariat located off the Independence Avenue, precisely opposite the Ghana Immigration Service Headquarters in Accra.
According to some eyewitnesses, a police vehicle with registration number GP 1805 and inscribed, “Accra Patrol” led an articulator truck with registration number GA 3674 W, which was carrying a bulldozer with number 32BC to raze down the building.
The officers reportedly entered the premises of the Council, seized mobile phones of the staff and ordered the demolition of the building, including, properties worth several millions of cedis. They handed over the mobile phones after the exercise.
One eyewitness said Mr. Thomas Agyare who claimed to be the Chief Building Inspector of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) told the staff of the council that he was “acting on the orders of the Land Commission.” Authorities of the council claimed, “The demolition of the secretariat was carried out without a court order or notice of any kind.”
