Businessman in court for selling government land
A businessman, Alhassan Hardi Mohammed, who appeared before an Adentan Circuit Court for allegedly selling five government-owned plots of land has been granted bail.
Advertisement
The accused person was before the court presided over by Her Honour Sedinam Awo Balokah on June 4, 2023 and pleaded not guilty to the charge of selling land he held no ownership or documents to.
His bail term was set by the judge at GH¢400, 000 with two sureties and the case adjourned to July 5, 2023.
According to the investigator, Stephen Djabatey, after the complainant, Mr Faisal Ahmed, purchased the land, he constructed a fence wall, a single room and drilled two boreholes on it. However, in January 2023, when the government conducted a demarcation and demolition exercise, he lost his land.
Presenting the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo said the complainant was a driver and resident of Kwabenya, Accra.
The prosecutor stated that in March 2022, the complainant Ahmed, who was then in the United Kingdom and interested in buying land, contacted a friend who introduced him to the accused, Mohammed.
C/Insp Lanyo said Ahmed, convinced of Mohammed’s genuineness, bought the said five plots at GH¢320,000 and paid GH¢69,050 into Mohammed’s bank account.
The prosecutor added that after Ahmed had paid the balance of GH¢250,950, an indenture, with the signature of one James Nii Mensah Okpoti Kodua of Oyarifa, Accra on it was issued to him by Mohammed.
The prosecutor added that when the demarcation and demolition exercise took place, Ahmed discovered that his land situated at the Amrahia Dairy Farm, Accra, had been released to the Chiefs of Amrahia, Kweiman, Danfa and Oyarifa by the government.
C/Insp Lanyo said afterwards, Mohammed tried to give Mr Ahmed land at East Legon Hills, Accra but he found out that Mohammed did not have documents to that land either.
The prosecutor added that after this incident, Mr Ahmed reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of the accused, Mohammed.
C/Insp Lanyo said during investigations, Mohammed told the police that he bought the government land at Amrahia from James Nii Mensah Okpoti Kodua, but he was not given any document to that effect.
The prosecutor said it was established that accused, Mohammed, had sold the land to complainant, Ahmed, when it was under the control of the government and that investigations were underway to find the said Nii Mensah Okpoti Kodua.