Government, Ama Sued for Demolishing Hotel

The owner of the 65-room Pier Hotel at the Airport Residential Area in Accra, which was demolished in April 1999, has sued the the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and its former Chief Executive, Mr Addokwei Addo and the Attorney-General for damages.

The suit filed on May 23 at the Fast-Track Court said the demolition of the hotel worth more than five million dollars was illegal and constituted a trespass and unlawful interference with the owner's civil and constitutional rights.

Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim, Executive Chairman of Dara Salaam Group and owner of the hotel, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Monday that the suit was filed on his behalf by his counsel, Mr Jacob Acquah-Sampson.

Mr Acquah-Sampson said the Attorney-General was a co-defendant in the suit because the 48 Engineers' Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces was used in the demolition exercise.

He said the Regiment used their own equipment including bulldozers, excavators and explosives.

The AMA and its former Chief Executive directed the exercise, he said.

Mr Acquah-Sampson said the case has not yet been called and none of the defendants has yet filed a defence.

The plaintiffs are claiming the replacement value of the hotel, including fittings and fixtures worth about five million dollars and the replacement of supplies and stores worth 150,000 dollars.

He explained that the demolition was done without notice to the owner although he had applied for a rezoning permit as the area was considered as a storm drain, which the Hydraulic Services Department of the Ministry of Works and Housing had approved for the project after technical advice on the structural and drainage works.

He said the Police, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ghana National Fire Service had also given their approval for the building of the hotel.

Mr Acquah-Sampson said AMA itself had directed that once the place was a hotel the adjoining plot could be acquired for adequate car parking space.

He said the hotel was demolished 12 days after the plot, which belonged to Colonel Ebenezer Tetteh Oklah (rtd), was acquired.