The Lands Commission has reacted to the brouhaha surrounding the property housing New Patriotic Party stalwart, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited, supposedly being the subject of a legal battle between the government and the Judicial Service of Ghana.
In a statement issued on September 9, 2024, the Lands Commission categorically refuted assertions that the property housing Asaase is No. 7, 5th Circular Road, Cantonments, listed in the suit of the Judicial Service.
The commission stated that its records show that Asaase has no interest in the said property, which is the subject matter of the Judicial Service suit.
“The land described as No. 7, 5th Circular Road, Cantonments, which is the subject matter of Suit No. LD/0526/2023 intituled Judicial Service of Ghana v The Lands Commission, Frimps Oil Company Ltd and the Attorney-General is separate and distinct from the land occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited at Cantonments. This land has never been owned or occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited.
“Following the commencement of the suit by the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Lands Commission, on July 19, 2023, applied for further and better particulars in respect of all the lands mentioned in the suit, and requested the site plans of the said lands. This is because the Commission accurately identifies land by the appropriate site plans, and not by house numbers," part of the statement reads.
The commission also stated that the property currently housing Gabby’s media house is also on state land which was acquired in 1920 and subsequently assigned to Lilly Homes Limited.
“The land currently occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited, which also forms part of the public land acquired by a Certificate of Title dated June 7, 1920, has the following recorded transactions in respect of the property:
"a. Lease dated July 18, 2006, between the President of the Republic of Ghana (as Lessor) and Mr. Fosuaba Akwasi Mensah Banahene (as Lessee) for a term of ninety-nine (99) years; b. Mortgage dated May 16, 2011, between Mr. Fosuaba Akwasi Mensah Banahene (as Mortgagor) and Prudential Bank Limited (as Mortgagee); c. Discharge of Mortgage dated January 20, 2020, by Prudential Bank Limited in favour of Mr. Fosuaba Akwasi Mensah Banahene; and d. Assignment dated March 4, 2020, between Mr. Fosuaba Akwasi Mensah Banahene (as Assignor) and Lilly Homes Limited (as Assignee),” the statement said.
The commission further stated that its records vindicate the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor's statement on the ownership of the Judicial Service land at Cantonments.
It indicated that the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, claims that Jinapor has been misleading the public on the status of the Judicial Service land, is false.
“From the above, it is evident that the Hon. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources did not make any false claim when he responded to the Hon. MP's allegations in respect of the Judicial Service's land at Cantonments.
"The Hon. Minister's response was in relation to the main subject matter of the suit by the Judicial Service of Ghana, described as land opposite the American Embassy and labelled as Plots 3A to 3F, as can be seen from the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim filed by the Judicial Service and published by the Hon. MP,” the commission wrote.
It added, “This land was leased to Frimps Oil Company Limited by a lease dated July 13, 2015, made between the President of the Republic of Ghana (as Lessor) and Frimps Oil Company Limited (as Lessee). It was Frimps Oil Company Limited's attempt to take possession of the property, pursuant to the said lease, that led the Judicial Service of Ghana to institute the above action against the Government, with Frimps Oil Company Limited as the Second Defendant.”
TWI NEWS
Background:
The North Tongu legislator, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, implicated the wife of Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko in his latest exposé as part of his crusade for accountability.
Ablakwa had previously stated that the property housing Asaase Broadcasting Company (ABC) headquarters in Accra was unlawfully acquired from state property, claiming that said property is one of the properties of the Judicial Service of Ghana that the service said was illegally sold by the government.
However, his claims were dismissed by the management of Asaase Broadcasting Company (ABC).
In a statement dated September 2, 2024, Asaase Broadcasting Company Ltd. refuted Ablakwa's claims as "false and misleading," stating that the property was lawfully-acquired by Lilly Homes Limited through legitimate means.
In response, Ablakwa has provided fresh revelations alleging affiliations of Lilly Homes Limited to Nana Adjoa Hackman, the wife of the director of Asaase Radio, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
According to him, Nana Adjoa Hackman is the sole shareholder of Lilly Homes Limited and also a director at Asaase Radio, raising concerns of conflict of interest.
Read the full statement of the Land Commission below:
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