Two individuals, Odartey Lamptey, a labourer and Mary Ama Otoo, a trader, have been arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly causing unlawful damage to property belonging a Court of Appeal judge.
The damaged property, a wall constructed around a 10-plot land at Danchira, has been valued at GH¢58,089.00.
Both accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with two sureties, who must be public servants earning not less than GH¢4,500 each.
The case, presided over by Judge Susan Eduful, has been adjourned to February 26, 2025.
Background of the Case
According to Chief Inspector Princess Tetteh Boafo, the prosecutor, the complainant, acquired six plots of land in 2003 for her brother-in-law who resides abroad, and four plots for herself from the Nii Djan Bi Amu Family.
However, after the purchase, the family advised her to hold off on developing the land, due to ongoing litigation.
In 2024, after the court adjudged the Nii Djan Bi Amu Family as the rightful owners, the complainant was given an indenture and court proceedings, permitting her to proceed with construction. She then took possession of the land and built a wall around the 10 plots.
Alleged Incident
On September 9, 2024 while construction workers were on-site, the first accused, Odartey Lamptey, allegedly confronted them and asked them to stop work.
He then called the second accused, Mary Ama Otoo, and handed the phone to one of the workers, Sule Victor.
Mary Ama Otoo allegedly warned the worker, stating that if they build the wall ten times, she would demolish it ten times.
Three days later, the witness returned to the site and discovered that a portion of the wall had been demolished.
Following the incident, a complaint was lodged at the Danchira Police Station, and later, the complainant petitioned the Director-General of the CID.
On November 2, 2024 Odartey Lamptey was arrested and handed over to the Property Fraud Unit of the CID Headquarters.
During police investigations, it was confirmed that part of the complainant’s wall had been destroyed.
The Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) assessed the damage, estimating the cost at GH¢58,089.00.
On November 13, 2024 Mary Ama Otoo was also arrested.
Investigations revealed that in 2024, Mary Ama Otoo had purchased a portion of the same land from the Nii Tettey Oko Aryee Family, who had lost a civil court case against the complainant’s grantor over ownership. The court had restrained her grantors from entering the land.
After completing investigations, the police charged the accused persons, leading to their court appearance.
The case continues on February 26, 2025.
