Police Back Land Guards To Terrorize Residents

A group of land guards armed to the teeth, amidst the smoking of illicit substance believed to be � Indian Hemp� yesterday, went on rampage and engaged in a wanton destruction of properties, running into several billions of Ghana Cedis at Marivelle Estates at Okpoi-Gonno, off the Spintex Road in Accra. This comes days after the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, set up a committee to probe a clash between a group of police officers and armed land guards, said to be a private army belonging to the Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI. The land guards, described as militia, goes about seizing legally acquired plots of land they claim belong to the Osu Stool. The land guards, led by one Adjei and Badu from the Teshie area had their illicit activities supervised by armed police personnel from the Monitors Unit (MU) of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, even as they smoked �wee� openly to the surprise of many. The gated Marivelle Estates is owned by Mrs. Maria O�Sullivan Zentu, who had a standoff with ex-President JJ Rawlings in year, 2000, following a botched love affair between her son, Selassie Zentu and Ezenator Rawlings, the first daughter of the then powerful Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings. The armed police accompanying the land guards drove in two police-registered vehicles numbered; GP 3788 and GP 3005. Marrivelle Estates, is home to personalities such as the New Patriotic Party�s (NPP) Communication Director, Nana Akomea, the recently sacked Ghana Water Company boss, Kweku Botwe and many others, some of whom had been behind lots of disturbance in the estates, including dragging Mrs. Zentu to an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Ofori-Atta The land guards, were believed to have been dispatched to the estates by a certain Traditional Priest from the Teshie area, by name Nii Nortey Dua, of Akoble We (clan), who is claiming ownership of the vast stretch of land, belonging to the real estate developer. The activities of the land guards, under the supervision of some police, occurred in the wee hours of yesterday, with residents looking on dumbfounded by the actions of the police. The land guards, who openly smoked some substances believed to �Wee� in the presence of the uniformed policemen, at certain instances demanded money from the residents, to shield their properties from being razed down by bulldozer executing the demolition exercise. The Herald�s scouts present at the scene of demolition, saw personnel brandished a demolition order, which had no site plan indicating the site had being earmarked for demolition. This paper is reliably informed that even though residents of the area are not party to the said court order, which emanated from a suit between one Acona and Nii Kwanko (the Teshie Wulomo). Marrivelle Estates and its residents are said to have their title deeds on the said lands. Additional intelligence picked by The Herald from the scene of the destruction, suggests that the Commander of the Kpeshie Divisional police in Nungua, who has supervision over Okpoi-Gonno area, was unaware of the court directive ordering the demolition of properties. The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Christian Yohenu, The Herald has learnt, has also ordered full scale investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the demolition exercise, as well as the faceless individuals behind the land guards, who executed the demolition exercise without any prior notice to the residents. One Alhaji Mohammed Abubakari of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) division, told Police personnel detailed to the scene by the Regional Commander, after the illegal demolition exercise had taken place that he acquired his properties and those of his friend now domicile in Switzerland in 1997, and had the title deeds on the lands. He had, therefore, appealed to the IGP to hasten actions to have his men who engaged in these acts brought to book. The said court order was said to be dated as far back as year 2000. Meanwhile, Mrs. Maria O�Sullivan Zentu, has since lodged a complaint at the Airport Police, apart from the Greater Accra Regional Command.