An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a chief from Teshie Traditional Area, Nii Adjei Adjetey Akuffo, alias Nii Mankralo III into police custody, over alleged involvement in the sale of 93,892 acre land, belonging to one Rose Aryee, an estate developer.
The accused was said to have sold the land in question to one Kofi Diame, after the demise of his predecessor, Nii Adjei Otswenmah Nmashie II, who sold the land to the complainant, Rose Aryee.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of fraudulent transaction of land and the court, presided over by Emmanuel Essandoh, adjourned the case to November 4.
Per the facts presented to the court by prosecuting officer, Inspector Eric Pobee, the complainant, in 1998 purchased the said land located at East Airport, Teshie, near Spintex Road, Accra, from the late Numo Nimashie of Teshie, Nii Adjei Otswenmah Nimashie III and head of Numo Nimashie Family.
Subsequently, after his demise, the prosecutor told the court that the accused person, who succeeded the late Mankralo III and knew the land had already been sold to the complainant, granted the same parcel of land to Mr Diame, an Estate Developer who started developing it.
The court heard that the complainant reported the case to the Criminal Investigation Department in Accra on August 18, 2021.
“During investigation, accused admitted the offence in his cautioned statement that he sold the same parcel of land to Kofi Diame, together with the Chief Priest of Numo Nmashie of Teshie, Wulumo Adjei Kwanku, now deceased, in the year 2017,” Inspector Pobee added.
According to prosecution, the complainant had registered the land at the Lands Commission after purchasing it, adding that in the course of investigation, land documents issued to the complainant by her grantor were showed to the accused person in the presence of the Greater Accra Regional Crime Officer.
He said the land documents were inspected and the signatories of the predecessor of the accused and his own father as well, were shown to him and he testified to the signatories.”
After investigations, the accused was charged with the offence and put before the court,” he said.
By Bernice Bessey & Jennifer Ambolley
