Police turn land guard

Police Officers of the special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), unit have allegedly turned into land guards guiding a piece of land day and night to allow one faction contending for its ownership to illegally develop a land at East Legon in the Greater Accra Region.

Sources say the SWAT commander Theophilus Hlomenu had refused to withdraw the services of the Police officers acting as Land guards on the said land because he has ordered from above(supposedly from the police headquarters) to keep the men there.

One of the contenders, Dr.Anko Ankrah who is one of the allodial owners of the lands at Tesa in East Legon told the reporter he would do all he can to ensure that his property does not end up in the hands of strangers.

The noted that one of the caretakers on the Land had sold it to one Ms. Daphine Oppong .

Dr.Anko Ankrah of the Numo Nmashie family of Teshie has sought to clarify issues at the East Legon police station with the other party but it ended I a stalemate even though the East Legon police asserted the allodial owners were the Numo Nmashie family.

The East L.egon police thereafter advised that the parties sought further clarification through the court if they are not satisfied.
However, while the supposed original owners of the land sought for an order of possession in the court,Ms. Daphine had made a U-turn seek police assistance to perpetuate her illegality.

When the East Legon police were contacted, a source said the matter has moved from their domain to a higher authority and SWAT was now in control.
SWAT commander, when contracted, explained that he was only carrying out orders from above indicating the said order was from the operations directorate of the police headquarters.

Both the Police and Ms. Daphine have refused to accept the court order disassociating her from the said land by playing a hunky punky sort of games with the bailiff.

The Police at SWAT even aft her been notified of the court decision still played their role as a Land guard to Ms. Oppong to develop the land.

So according to Dr.Anko Ankrah, the original buyer of the land ,to whom he sold the piece of the land to has spent over a Billion cedi to make the land habitable yet the police who has no place on their family matter want to determine who owns the land. ‘Is that the mandate of the police, what is their interest?’ He asked rhetorically.

Further, a 2008 Supreme Court judgement reaffirmed a 1982 Appeal Court judgement which clearly ruled that the Numo Nmashie family of Teshie in the Greater Accra Region were owners of all the lands ‘comprised of some 72 villages including Tesa, Otele and Adjiringano, East Legon.

The said ruling has since not been challenged by the Supreme Court of the land.