Tse-Addo land grabbing allegation - Transport minister demands apology over malicious report

The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah and his wife have been mentioned in the case of allegedly entering and trespassing on land located in the Tse Addo residential enclave.

The accusation is supported by evidence presented in court, including photographs of developments on the disputed land.

The Minister has been dragged before the court based on an application for interlocutory injunction filed by lawyers representing Solace Doe and another.

The applicants claim that the Minister and his wife entered the disputed land with armed policemen, allegedly on the pretext of acquiring it from other respondents. The applicants argue that this conduct constitutes trespass and illegality.

The applicants claim to have evidence validating their ownership of the land in question, citing previous court decisions that affirmed their grantors as the rightful owners with the capacity to grant parcels of land to them.

These court decisions include a Court of Appeal decision and Supreme Court decisions.

“MOTION ON NOTICE FOR INTERLOCUTORY INJUNCTION

“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that this Honourable Court shall be moved by Counsel for Plaintiffs herein for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining 3rd and 4th Defendants, their agents, assigns, workmen including policemen deployed to guard the unlawful construction work on the land, privies including MRS. WILHEMINA ASIAMAH (WIFE OF THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT) as well as JOSEPH KWAKU OFORI ASIAMAH THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT howsoever called from entering, developing or having any dealings with Plaintiffs' respective parcels of land pending the final determination of the instant suit upon the grounds as set out in the accompanying Affidavit,” a copy of the court papers sighted by GhanaWeb said.

“WHEREFORE Applicants pray that this Honourable Court grants the instant application restraining Respondents, their agents assigns, workmen, privies including MRS. WILHEMINA ASIAMAH (WIFE OF THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT) as well as JOSEPH KWAKU OFORI ASIAMAH, Minister of Transport, howsoever described from entering, developing, and or having any dealings with Applicants' land pending the determination of this suit,” it added.

Demand for retraction and apology

The Minister's lawyers have issued a demand notice to "The Law Platform" for publishing an article with allegedly defamatory statements against their clients.

The lawyers demand an immediate retraction of the statements and a formal apology to mitigate the damage caused to their client's reputations.

The demand notice issued by Addo and Addo Legal Attorneys, dated Wednesday, 8 May 2024, and signed by Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, stated “We act as Solicitors for Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah and Mrs Wilhemina Asiamah on whose instructions we write to you. Our clients informed us that on 7 May 2024, you published an article titled “Transport Minister and his wife dragged to Court for “land grabbing” using state security on your website.

“The statements made in the aforementioned article are entirely malicious.

“In the said publication, the following defamatory statements were made of our clients; “Transport Minister and his wife dragged to court for ‘land grabbing’ using state security”

“The Minister for Transport and his wife Mrs Wilhemina Asiamah are due for court on Thursday, 9 May 2024 for unlawfully entering and trespassing on land located at the prime and much sought after Tse Addo residential enclave,” asaaseradio.com quoted part of the demand letter to have said.

“Our clients inform us that the assertions made in the said article portray our clients in a false and damaging light, thereby impugning their reputation and causing significant harm to their personal and professional standing.

“Our clients have instructed us to demand an immediate retraction of the defamatory statements published by your media outlet, accompanied by a formal apology issued in a prominent manner commensurate with the prominence of the original publication,” the letter from the lawyers for the transport minister added.



AM/SARA

Click here to follow the GhanaWeb General News WhatsApp channel

Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below: