Mrs. Mayfred Owusu (middle) addressing journalists
The demolition of property on some disputed lands at Kitase near Aburi Akwapim in the Eastern Region is causing uneasiness in the usually quiet town.
According to the James Toah Agyare Family of Kitase, a developer called Solomon Opare Addo Quaynor has allegedly taken over their lands and was using land guards to ‘terrorise’ them.
At a news conference at Kitase on Saturday, Mrs. Mayfred Owusu, a leader of the James Toah Agyare Family, claimed that Mr. Addo Quaynor, despite a court judgement that he should take seven parcels from their land, had taken the entire 45 and was on a demolition spree.
She said on 29th November, 2001, the family sued Mr. Quaynor at a circuit court – first at Somanya and later at Akropong. However, after about 12 years on 29th April, 2013, the court held that Mr. Quaynor was entitled to only four out of seven parcels of land he counter-claimed.
Not satisfied, Mrs. Owusu said Mr. Quaynor appealed against the decision at a Koforidua Court of Appeal three years after the Circuit Court judgment and got all the seven parcels of land back on October 26, 2016.
She said that on 22nd February this year, Mr. Quaynor sought a demolition order pursuant to the execution of the Court of Appeal’s decision but the portions of lands earmarked for the demolition far exceeded what the court had granted the appellant.
Mrs. Owusu alleged that Mr. Quaynor’s land is made up of about seven different portions, covering 1.219, 1.27, 1.41, 1.388, 2.73, 1.34, and 0.38 acres, all located at different locations within their family lands.
“Addo Quaynor has taken all our lands and is using land guards to prevent us from going to farm there. We want the chief justice to look into this matter for justice to prevail,” she appealed.
However, in his affidavit, Mr. Quaynor said he successfully set aside the judgement of the Circuit Court and has since been acting lawfully to take possession of the disputed land.
By William Yaw Owusu