Labadi Beach Hotel secures injunction in land dispute with Polo Beach Club

A High Court in Accra has granted an injunction barring Spartan Ives Limited, a company affiliated with Kwame Blay, a son of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, Freddie Blay, from accessing the beachfront of the Labadi Beach Hotel.

The injunction application was filed by the management of the Labadi Beach Hotel.

Portions of the court order shared by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, showed that Blay’s company has been barred from trespassing on the beachfront of the Labadi Beach Hotel.

The company and its associates were also barred from operating the Polo Beach Club for 10 days from the date of the order, which is December 19, 2024.

“Please take notice that pursuant to the Order of interim injunction of the High Court, Land Division 7, Accra dated 19th December, 2024… which has been served on you, the Defendant, its agents, affiliates, holding company, subsidiaries, assigns, servants, workmen and associates are restrained/injuncted from

a. Trespassing on the Plaintiff's Land covering an approximate area of 0.54 acres and using the same as a car park, pathway for the Defendant's events, activities and parties or any other purpose.

b. Operating the Polo Beach Club as well as holding any event on the Plaintiff's/Applicant's land as well as the restricted area of land adjoining Plaintiff/Applicant's land.

c. Using the restricted beachfront adjoining Plaintiff's Land and in front of The Plaintiff's Land in breach of the Plaintiff's Lease Agreement dated 27th November, 1990,” parts of the court document read.

Background:

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in one of his exposés, accused the former NPP National Chairman and his family of scheming to capture the beachfront of the Labadi Beach Hotel.

Describing the Labadi Beach Hotel as “the super profitable” entity that the government wants to include in its ‘grand state capture,’ the MP has shared details that link a former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, and his son, to the ownership of the hotel.

Sharing the details, alongside copies of photos of the court documents on his X handle, the National Democratic Congress MP said that the son of Freddie Blay now claims to be the owner of the beachfront of the Labadi Beach Hotel.

The MP added that with this revelation, the Ghanaian hotel becomes the “only beachfront hotel in the world which does not have exclusive control over its entire beachfront.”

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa explained further how this information came to light, adding that it was contained in ‘bombshell court documents’ initiated by a former partner of Freddie Blay, who had felt cheated by the former NPP national chairman.

“The bombshell court documents confirm that the son of the former National Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay, now claims to be the new owner of the beachfront which had always belonged to the Labadi Beach Hotel. Labadi Beach Hotel has thus become the only beachfront hotel in the world which does not have exclusive control over its entire beachfront. Sadly, because of the powerful politically exposed persons involved in this shady encroachment, the Board and management of Labadi Beach Hotel appear helpless.

“Ghanaians may never have known of this shocking hostile 2022 takeover by then NPP Chairman, Mr. Freddy Worsemao Blay’s son if Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay’s business partner, Mr. Loic Devos Junior, had not initiated legal action at an Accra High Court (Commercial Division) on February 17, 2023, alleging that his business partner, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay, has cheated him out of their business operations and fraudulently denied him of the financial benefits of their joint business dealings,” he detailed.

The North Tongu legislator added that after Loic Devos Junior, partner to Freddie Blay, had entered into a mutual agreement with the former NPP chairman, the former was cheated out of the arrangement.

He added that after this too, Freddie Blay locked Loic Devos out of the company’s accounts, taking full control of the business without him.

Okudzeto Ablakwa also stated a supposed complicity of a former Managing Director of the Labadi Beach Hotel in the matter concerning Freddie Blay, adding that this is what led to the dismissal of the hotel boss, Rene Vincent-Ernst.

The Blays have denied the allegations of the MP and have even taken legal action against him.

Kwame Blay refutes Ablakwa's accusations of land theft and fraud involving Loic Devos Jnr, asserting that these baseless claims have caused significant damage to both his business ventures and personal reputation.

Freddie Blay contends that Ablakwa's allegations are driven by malice, especially considering the timing close to the elections, aiming to undermine his reputation.

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