Businessman accused of illegal land sale jumps bail
The Adentan Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a businessman, Alhassan Hardi Mohammed, accused of illegally selling land, for jumping bail.
The businessman, accused of selling land without title and granted bail granted by the court where he was due to appear yesterday, failed to turn up.
Police Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant is a driver, who lives at Adoteiman, while accused is also a businessman living at Lakeside Estates, at Ashaley Botwe, in the Greater Accra Region.
The court heard that in March, 2022, complainant, who was then in London, United Kingdom, and wanted to buy land contacted a friend, who introduced accused as a land dealer, who could help him acquire land.
Chief Insp Lanyo stated that accused convinced the complainant that he has acquired land genuinely, and the complainant agreed to buy five plots of land at GH¢320,000 with each plot costing GH¢70,000.
The court heard that the complainant paid GH¢69,050 into accused’s Commercial Bank account and also paid GH¢250,950 through his brother-in-law after which accused issued an indenture signed by James Nii Mensah Okpoti Kodua of Oyarifa.
Chief Insp Lanyo told the court that the complainant fenced around the land and drilled two borehole on the land.
The prosecution said that in January, 2023, the government embarked on a demarcation and demolition exercise at Amrahia dairy farm land, after which portions of the land in the enclave were released to the chiefs of Arabia, Kweiman, Santa and Oyarifa.
Chief Insp Lanyo said that after that exercise, part of the complainant land went into Kweiman and part also went into Amrahia, making the complainant to loss the land entirely.
The court was told that the accused relocated the complainant to an area at East Legon hills, and have him a plot of land there.
Chief Insp Lanyo said when complainant made enquiries, he was told accused did not own land there.
The prosecution said accused again relocated the complainant to an area near Katamanso, and told him to work on two plots of land, and the complainant conveyed building materials from the former disputed place to renew site and started building.
Chief Insp Lanyo informed the court that during the construction, a policeman stopped the complainant from working, claiming ownership of the land.
The court said the complainant reported the matter to the police and accused was arrested.
Chief Insp Lanyo said during investigation, accused told police that he bought the land from James Nii Mensah Okpoti Kodua of Oyarifa, but he was not given any document to that effect.
The court heard that accused sold the land to complainant when it was under government control and he did not have any documents covering the land he sold to the complainant.
Chief Insp Lanyo said accused was charged with the offence while efforts were being made to arrest Nii Mensah Okpoti Kodua for questioning
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
