It is now common knowledge that the Director of Operations at the presidency is involved in land tangos with numerous expatriates and organizations.
What is unique is that, despite facing contempt charges in court, Lord Oblitey Commey allegedly instructed his boys to go and begin development on the site over which he is fighting an expatriate company in court.
The Director of Operations and Sinocom Development Communication Technology Ghana Ltd are battling it out in court over who is the rightful owner of the land in Tse-Addo in La, Accra, which is behind the Ghana International Trade Fair and spans roughly 3.35 acres or 1.35 hectares, which he allegedly ordered his men to pull down and destroyed properties that were being developed on it.
Amid the tussle, the court issued a restraining order against the Plaintiff, Intertec Iconic Enterprise Limited, on July 24, this year, saying that “its Directors, agents, privies, assigns, workmen and all persons claiming through it are restrained from entering, interfering with, and or developing the subject land pending the determination of the issues raised in the ruling.”
Additionally, on April 25, 2024, Mr. Hampton, Tsotso, and Mr. Razak led a group of people they thought to be land guards into the company’s Tse-Addo construction site, where they forcibly removed construction workers and then began demolishing finished projects.
This development brought to a halt the massive investments made in the construction of housing units for potential buyers.
According to information, the exercise was carried out under the strict supervision of the police, military, and national security, who led the land guards to barge into the premises and forcibly evict construction workers before dismantling and destroying all concrete foundations and pillars that had been erected for multiple houses under construction.
Given the considerable financial loss, the company petitioned the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Mr. Arhin Kwasi Annor, regarding the distressing occurrence.
The company, through its lawyers, LAW GROUP, stated that the incident looked to have its roots in a challenging confusion over the ownership of the land, and that, Mr. Hampton, Tsotso, and Mr. Razak had in June 2023, trespassed on the property, requiring the intervention by law.
“Regrettably, they failed to produce verifiable documentation substantiating their claim to ownership of the land, while our client was able to furnish incontrovertible evidence supporting their rights,” the lawyers stated in the petition.
Mr. Hampton, Tsotso, and Mr. Razak returned to the land in November with a “forged land certificate,” attempting to halt construction activities, but the company continued operations.
The intruders’ persistence in illegally occupying the property triggered legal action before the Accra Land High Court.
According to the petition, the Lands Commission investigated the alleged fraudulent registration of the land title and provided a verification report to the company on March 19, 2024.
Despite this, Mr. Hampton’s group refused to wait for the outcome of the ruling, which was scheduled for May 2, 2024, and stormed the site with some individuals posing as national security personnel, destroying all structures built there.
The company, through its lawyers, petitioned the Regional Commander to intervene and halt the continued unlawful damage on the land, as well as to launch an extensive investigation into the incident.
On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, a police squad was dispatched to the location in response to a petition to the regional police headquarters, to apprehend Mr. Hampton’s workers.
The workers were taken into custody by the police squad, but before they could leave, Mr. Hampton drove up to the scene at full speed, with a siren, and threatened to kill the officers.
He contested the arrest, saying the land belonged to him, and the police demanded he present the necessary paperwork or send it to the regional headquarters through a third party.
Acting on orders from “above,” Mr. Hampton refused to comply with the police’s request, arguing that the land was rightfully his and that not even the president could take it away.
He was aggressive towards the police, who fled the site with the arrested workers and returned to regional command.
Mr. Lord Commey has been served a Substituted Service to appear in Court on Contempt charges. Tongues are however wagging as to whether the big government official would report to the court or not.
Source: The Inquirer