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GAF files defence in Kpone Traditional
Council case
Tema, June 28, Ghanadot/GNA - The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF)
has filed its statement of defence at the Tema High Court in
response to a writ of summons issued against the Military by
the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) for allegedly occupying
part of its stool lands near Michel Camp illegally.
The statement of defence was filed on June 20, together with
notice of entry of appearance and opposition to the grant of
interlocutory injunction by Mr D. Cab-Beyuo, Chief State
Attorney for the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.
The Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) and Nii Joseph Kwaku
Teye, Gbetsile Mantse on May 5 2008, issued a writ of
summons against the Military for illegally occupying
portions of the Kpone Stool lands.
The writ of summons named the Commanding Officer of the
First Battalion (1BN), the Chief of Defence Staff and the
Attorney-General as the first, second and third defendants,
in that order.
A copy of the defence statement dated June 13, made
available to the Ghana News Agency stated that, the Tema
Development Corporation (TDC), through whom the lands were
acquired by the State for the Military in the Tema
Metropolis had been vested, intentionally created buffer
zones in the south and south-west part of Michel Camp to
clearly define the boundaries of the Military lands.
It further stated that due to the delay in the acquisition
of the lands by the government for the Ghana Armed Forces, a
lot of people started putting up buildings within that
portion of the buffer zone, which led the Military to take
steps to prevent such activities.
It, however, said the developers saw their actions as
harassment and therefore complained to the Lands Commission.
Part of the statement noted that Major Owusu, the Acting
Commanding Officer and a group of soldiers went unto the
said land to protect it from trespassers, since the Ministry
of Defence had not granted any licence to any developer.
The statement said the KTC did not object to the Military
using the land provided the Government would properly
acquire it and pay them a fair and adequate compensation as
stipulated in the 1992 Constitution, noting that, this was
after it had come to light during a meeting between the
Lands Commission, the GAF and the KTC on May 5, 2005 that
even though the land in contention had not been acquired by
the State it was needed by the Military.
Meanwhile Justice Nana Tawiah Gyamera, a Tema High Court
Judge on 23rd June 2008, adjourned the case to 7th July 2008
and ordered the defence counsel to serve the plaintiffs with
the statement of defence since Mr Prosper Xorla Nyaho of
Afadjato Chambers; solicitors for the Plaintiffs, said they
had not been served.
GNA
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