Lawyers for the owners of a disputed parcel of land at Tse Addo in Accra have dismissed media reports alleging that COCOBOD Chief Executive Officer, Dr Randy Abbey; and National Security operative, Richard Jakpa, forcibly seized private property under construction.
In a rejoinder signed by Kuenyehia and Nutsukpui, lawyers for Comfort Adjeley Odamtten, Salomey Adjeley Odamtten, and Kai Odamtten, the claims were described as 'a palpable falsehood and gross misinformation.' It stated that; "The said publication… sought to put out a totally false narrative of events concerning our clients' parcel of land and the circumstances under which officers of the National Security Secretariat and Dr Randy Abbey had to step in to save our clients from being unlawfully and blatantly dispossessed of their land." The lawyers explained that the land, a 0.20-acre parcel located behind the Ghana International Trade Fair Center, was inherited from the late E K Odamtten and has been in the family's undisputed possession for over 22 years.
A two-bedroom home had been built on it, which was demolished in February this year, it added. "Poppy Osman, in the company of some hardened land-guards armed with sophisticated weapons, besieged our clients' property at around 2 AM, forcibly evicted them and their infant children, and demolished their residence on the land with total impunity," it added.
The lawyers further claimed Osman began constructing a 12-storey building on the site, damaging nearby properties, including that of Dr Abbey.
