New Judge takes over Takoradi Shopping Mall legal battle

The legal tango over the Takoradi Shopping Mall in the Western Region that has been dragging for sometime now could soon be over as the adjudication to determine the rightful owner of the Mall Project has been taken over by a new Judge, Justice Amoako Asante.

According to a deep throat source, the Judge has promised to work speedily to ensure that work resumes on the project.

This follows the interdiction of Justice UP Dery who has been in charge of the case.

Justice Dery is among the 14 Justices of the High court whose name was mentioned in the famous Anas Investigation on Judicial Corruption.

The Shopping Mall project which was started a couple of years ago has come to a standstill following a suit filed by Peter Obosu, Managing Director of Peekob Ltd at a Sekondi High Court, commercial Division to prevent the investor to pay an amount of 1.6million dollars to a different party.

The Defendant, Western Development Consortium is claiming ownership of the project but Mr. Obosu is contesting this.

According to him, Peekob, his company is the rightful owner which envisioned, drafted, financed the preparatory works including the evacuation of artisans and made the project a reality.

The court has since placed injunction on the project till the final determination of the case.

As a result, West Port RMB Ltd, the South African investor who is financing the project has been asked to deposit money to the true owner of the project whiles the final ruling is pending in court.

Many a resident in the Western Region especially Sekondi/Takoradi are so much agitated about undue delay in the Project especially after the painful evacuation of hundreds of artisans from the 28-acre land earmarked for the project.

The Takoradi Mall should have been the Second in Ghana after the Accra Shopping Mall.

Unfortunately, the project which was planned about 7 years ago has come to a standstill with the ones in Nungua and Achimota which were recently initiated being completed.

The next hearing of the case, which has now been transferred from the Commercial court to the High Court A in Sekondi is Tuesday April 19, 2016.