The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, has granted bail to two individuals, Dogbe John, 59, and Nathaniel Dogbe, 31, in a land dispute case involving trespass, unlawful damage and the use of land guards.
The accused were granted bail in the sum of GH¢60,000 each, with two sureties each to be justified.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, detailed the accusations, with the case being adjourned for further proceedings.
Charges against the Accused
The accused, John Dogbe, an unemployed man and his son, Nathaniel, a businessman, face multiple charges including trespassing, contrary to Section 157 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), unlawful damage and the use of land guards under the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999).
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer,the accused unlawfully entered land located in East Legon on or before September 9, 2024, which is owned by the complainant, Henry Afful, a businessman.
The accused also allegedly hired land guards to prevent Jonas Afful from developing the property.
The prosecution further stated that the accused caused significant damage to the foundation footings, fence wall and a metal gate belonging to the complainant.
Brief factsÂ
The complainant, Henry Afful, owns the land in East Legon, where he operates a block factory and has constructed several buildings, including a one-story office building.
In 2019, John Dogbe approached Afful to lease the one-story building for himself and his son to operate a barbering salon.
The two parties entered into a lease agreement for a period of two years, during which the Dogbes were allowed to renovate the building to suit their business needs.
When the lease expired, Afful sought to renew the agreement, but the accused declined. Instead, they allegedly resorted to hiring land guards to take control of part of the property where Afful’s block factory operates.
The prosecution revealed that the accused, with the help of land guards, demolished the complainant’s fence wall, removed the metal gate, and damaged the foundation footings, all without proper authorisation.
On September 9, 2024 Afful reported the case to the police after an altercation with the land guards hired by the accused.
The police conducted investigations, during which the accused continued to engage land guards to cause further damage to Afful’s property.
The accused were arrested and granted police enquiry bail before being charged and brought before the court.
