One person shot during a demolition exercise at Kasoa

Kasoa (CR), July 21, GNA - One person was shot in the right foot during a demolition exercise supervised by Kasoa District Police on Wednesday.

The victim, Hussein Mohammed, a 28-year-old footballer, was allegedly hit by a stray bullet when police fired warning shots and was taken to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Residential houses, stores, shops and houses under construction were destroyed on the land purported to have been bought from one Mr Odailai Laryea, proprietor of Be Bold Drinking Spot and Restaurant at Kasoa.

The exercise was undertaken on behalf of owners of an 80-plot land, Mr Seth Odoi Quaye and Mr Felix Antwi Danquah, both traders, on the orders of an Agona Swedru High Court.

Briefing Ghana News Agency at Kasoa Mr Danquah said they received total ownership of the land after a ruling by the court in July 2008 after a protracted litigation with Mr Laryea and a court order for the demolition in November 2009.

He said without their knowledge, Mr Laryea had sold most of the land to other developers.

Mr Danquah said after the court ruling, they informed the developers and urged all those who did not want their houses and other properties to be demolished to contact them for settlement.

"Those who came to me as you can see have their houses and properties intact. It is only those who ignored the 91olive branch' that had their houses and properties demolished," he said.

Some of the affected developers speaking to the GNA denied ever receiving notice from Mr Danquah.

"We bought the land from Laryea about six years ago and have not received any demolition notice from Mr Danquah," they said.

However, Mr Laryea was not available to comment while Deputy Superintendent of Police Jordan Quaye, Kasoa District Police Commander, refused to comment.