THE EAST Dadekotopon Development Trust (EDDT) has warned members of the public not to deal with any other individuals or groups concerning the purchase or acquisition of an 808.644 acres of land around the La Trade Fair Center, Accra.
According to the EDDT, it owns the land in question and not any other groups who are purporting to be the owners of the land and attempting to sell or lease portions of it to unsuspecting buyers.
Specifically, EDDT said the “Atta Tawiah Tsinatse family does not have the “808” Acres of land at Tse – Addo.”
Chairman of EDDT, Nii Obour Fred Afful, addressing journalists to set the records straight after reported media publications by the above mentioned family allegedly claiming ownership of the land, recounted that the EDDT was set up in 2002 following Court action and by a Trust Deed dated 10th April, 2002.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Deed, a new Board of Trustees was appointed effective 27th March, 2017 although on account of subsisting suit, inauguration was done on September 8, 2017 to enable the Trustees take office, he said
The settlers, he said, brought the appointment to the attention of the public by a newspaper publication dated 30th April, 2017.
According to him, the EDDT after being formed took steps to register its interest in the parcel of land covered by the Trust as far back as October 2003.
Several years down the line, he said, claims begun to emerge by a few factions notably Ataa Tawiah Tsinaiatse and Nuumo Ofoli Kwashie families.
The families, he said, sued the EDDT, and secured a judgement of the High Court, Accra, presided over by Ofori-Atta J., on December 7, 2010.
By the said judgment, the families were declared owners of an area of 808.644 acres out of the total area of 3,408.65 acres, which was registered in the name of the EDDT.
Also, he added, the judgment impugned the certificate of the EDDT.
According to him, an appeal was subsequently filed against the decision.
He said during the appeal, the families abandoned the earlier judgement of the High Court and entered into a consent judgement.
The consent judgement was adopted as a judgement of the Court of Appeal on April 30, 2015, he noted, adding that by the Consent Judgement, which is the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the judgment of the High Court dated December 7, 2010, ceased to exist and the Land Certificate of the EDDT was thus preserved.
Explaining further, he said after the settlement, there appeared to be an inter-family conflict within the Attaa Tawiah Tsinaiatse and Nuumo Ofoli Kwashie Families.
“Some of the factions of the families disputed the right of other factions to act on behalf of the families,” he noted.
According to him, with no resolution in sight, the various factions headed to court to resolve their dispute as to who had the right to act for the families.
“This was the issue for determination in suit No. BMisc 720/2015 brought and heard before justice Anthony Abada. The EDDT was not a party to this suit. It was purely a family affair.”
He observed that after commencing the suit, one of the families brought an application for injunction to restrain the other faction pending the determination of the suit.
By its ruling, he said, the High Court presided over by Justice Abada J., purported to determine the entire dispute and held that one of the factions did not have the capacity to represent the family, adding that as a result, and according to the ruling, the Consent Judgment of the Court of Appeal was procured by fraud and it was set aside by the High Court. This ruling by the High Court presided over by Abada J., was dated 3rd March, 2016.
According to him, the action of the families and their agents has resulted in several complaints to the Police as well as a number of Court actions to restrain them.
He stressed that “the Trustees of the EDDT commenced several actions both at the High Court and at the Supreme Court to nullify these unfortunate developments and to set aside the judgment of Abada J..which gave birth to actions of the families.”
He urged that “we wish, as a matter of grave importance, to bring to the attention of the general public that the Judgment of the Court of Appeal which effectively set aside the Ruling of Abada J., restored the status quo in favor of the East Dadekotopon Development Trust.”
BY Melvin Tarlue