Expatriates appeal for title deeds for Ghana@50 properties

Accra, Sept. 22, GNA - Two expatriates on Tuesday appealed to the Ghana@50 Commission of Inquiry to assist them to acquire land title deeds to houses they bought in 2008 at the La AU Village at Cantonments in Accra.

The two, Gopal Vasu and Navnit Varia, both directors of M&G Pharmaceuticals Limited, explained to the Commission that even though they had received the keys to the properties, the agent that sold the houses to them, Exotic Properties, had not yet furnished them with title deeds.

Vasu told the Commission that Exotic Properties sold the property at GH¢350,000 out of which he had made two instalments of GH¢25,000 each at separate times, leaving a balance of GH¢300,000. He was, however, notified by the agent that the title to the house had not yet been prepared by the Lands Commission.

He said the agent later informed him that because of government's dissolution of the Ghana@50 secretariat and the subsequent setting up of the Commission of Inquiry, all transactions concerning the property were to be put on hold until the completion of the probe.

Vasu told the Commission that the agent had taken too l ng in preparing the title deeds, saying that, he suspected the agent owed the Lands Department, hence the delay in providing the documents. Vasu however said that, he was prepared to pay the balance of the money owed for the house, provided he was assured of the documents. Varia also gave a similar account, saying he was ready to pay the remainder of the cost on the house, if given the assurance that the title deed would be made available to him.

Justice Isaac Duose, Chairman of the Commission told the expatriates that the Commission cannot assure them that they would compel the Lands Department to give them titles to the properties, but would inquire why there was a delay in the issuance of the documents. "In due course you will be hearing from government," he told them.