An Accra Circuit Court Nine presided over by His Honour Samuel B. Acquah has granted a bail of GH¢150,000 to a stool elder for unlawful demolition of property pillars of a business woman in Koforidua.
Samuel Nuetey Abotse, who claims to be a stool elder of Appolonia, was granted the bail with two sureties, one to be justified with a property worth GH¢50,000 and a salaried worker earning not less than GH¢2,000, after pleading not guilty to the offence of causing unlawful damage.
Briefing the court, DSP Augustus Anim Yirenkye said the complainant, Grace James Ocloo, is a business woman and resident of Koforidua. Accused Samuel Nuetey Abotsi claims to be a stool elder of Appolonia living at Nungua.
He said in 2016, the complainant acquired 23 acres of land from FA Global Company Limited at Appolonia. Before acquiring the land, the complainant conducted a search at the Lands Commission and found out that, the land is registered in the name of the said FA Global Company Limited. The complainant after acquiring the land constructed a fence wall and pillars on the said acres of land to ward off encroachers.
On March 26, 2021, at about 11pm, accused Samuel Nuetey Abotsi and Haruna Tette, now at large, sent a payloader machine to the complainant’s land and without any court order demolished the entire fence wall and the pillars.
The complainant reported the matter to the police on March 29, 2021 for investigation, and when police visited the scene, the fence wall together with 300 pillars valued at GH¢150,000.00 were completely demolished.
On April 21, 2022, accused Samuel Nuetey Abotsi was arrested, and in his investigation cautioned statement to the police, he admitted the offence and stated that, the same piece of land is owned by him, the reason he demolished the properties on the land in order to know the claimant of the land. Meanwhile, accused was told by the police to submit his document on the land to assist investigation but he failed to do so.
The case has been adjourned to June 8, 2022 for hearing.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey