FLASHBACK: The demolished La Pleasure Beach
The management of La Pleasure Beach has sued Hotel Investments (Ghana) Limited, operators of Labadi Beach Hotel; La Palm Beach Hotel Limited and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) over the demolition of its management office and other structures at the beachfront.
The writ, filed at the High Court in Accra, is seeking among others, a declaration affirming the committee’s authority to manage, control, regulate and generate revenue from activities at the beach.
The writ of summon, sworn to by Stanley Anyetei Nunoo, Chairman of the Management Committee of La Pleasure Beach, alleges that the defendants, together with security personnel said to have been engaged for the operation, unlawfully demolished the committee’s management office and other licensed structures, disrupting its operations.
According to the statement of claim, the management committee was established following a Court of Appeal order dated July 21, 2022, which the plaintiff says dissolved an interim management committee established by the High Court in April 2013.
Demolition
Polo Beach Club, the venue that helped make Accra one of the world’s leading December destinations, was among some seven beach houses within the La Pleasure Beach that were demolished by the military on October 2, 2026, under the authority of the National Security.
The demolitions, done at the behest of Labadi Beach Hotel, were carried out despite the pendency of multiple lawsuits challenging the hotel’s claim to the disputed beachfront lands.
At the time the demolition was carried out, there were multiple applications pending before the courts, seeking to restrain the hotel, acting through its agents, allies or proxies as well as Richard Jakpa, the Director of Special Operations at the National Security Council Secretariat, from undertaking the unlawful demolition as threatened.
Despite the pendency of these legal actions, military officers acting under the authority of the National Security offered protection as years of millions of investments were razed to the ground.
The demolition exercise, which begun at 4a.m. on Friday, October 2, was carried out as a joint operation by personnel from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, alongside the Ghana Police Service.
Suit
The management of La Pleasure Beach, in its suit, contends that Hotel Investments (Ghana) Limited and La Palm Beach Hotel Limited, which operate Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Beach Hotel respectively, have no proprietary or possessory interest in La Pleasure Beach or its management, apart from an access licence granted by the committee.
The plaintiff avers that equipment, furniture, files, records and other properties were destroyed or removed during the demolition exercise, while staff and licensed operators were chased away.
The suit maintains that the operation was carried out without a court order, warrant, prior notice or a hearing for the management committee.
The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the demolition and the defendants’ alleged involvement in the operation were lawful.
SSNIT’s Position
The court documents also refer to a press release issued by SSNIT on October 2, 2026, in which the Trust said it had sought the intervention of the National Security Council Secretariat over what it described as persistent unlawful occupation, encroachment and unauthorised activities on the beachfront adjoining Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.
According to the statement cited in the court documents, SSNIT said the hotels formed part of its investment portfolio and that it had a responsibility to protect those investments for the benefit of contributors and pensioners.
The plaintiff, however, contends that the defendants jointly participated in or facilitated the demolition, and is seeking legal redress over the resulting damage and disruption.
Reliefs Sought
The La Pleasure Beach management committee is asking the High Court to declare that it has the authority to manage, control, regulate and license activities at La Pleasure Beach.
It is also seeking a declaration that the defendants acted unlawfully in demolishing the structures and interfering with the committee’s operations.
Among the other reliefs sought are an injunction restraining the defendants and their representatives from taking over or interfering with the management and possession of the beach, and an order restoring possession and management of the facility to the committee.
The plaintiff is further asking the court to order an independent valuation of properties allegedly damaged, destroyed, removed or lost during the operation.
It is also seeking compensation for alleged property damage, loss of revenue, loss of business and interference with its operations, in addition to aggravated and exemplary damages, interest and legal costs.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak