Soldiers, Police On Rampage Again; Invade private land at Afienya &destroyed walls; Burma Camp denies sanctioning operation

Burma Camp is conducting investigations into circumstances leading to the invasion of private land by armed soldiers and policemen, resulting in the destruction of property worth over GH¢500,000. The 23 acres of walled land, the property of Royal Rock Investments Limited, a real estate developer, is at Abbey Korpe, which is situated between Afienya and Dawhenya in the Ningo Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.

The action was subsequent to a police wireless message, which originated from the Property Fraud Unit (PFU) at the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

The armed personnel, so as to get hold of the ground to demolish the solid walls of six inch blocks, subdued the company’s only security guard, a retired soldier with the rank of Warrant Officer (WO), on duty.

The WO was not the only person who suffered humiliation at the hands of the invaders, but also another retired Staff Sergeant (S/Sgt), now President of the Asafohene of the Likpe Traditional Area in the Oti Region.

He arrived a day before the invasion with herbs to treat his brother in-law currently bedridden with stroke. Information available to The Chronicle indicates that a private entity, Royal Rock Investments Limited, which is into real estate development, acquired the 23 acres of land and  constructed the mighty walls to secure the property.

Along the line, a soldier, described as WO I Stanley Agrah from the Engineer Regiment of the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has been visiting the property together with other armed soldiers claiming the place as a military property.

When the harassment became incessant, a report was made to the military authorities in Burma Camp, for which armed soldiers, including an officer, moved from the First Battalion of Infantry (1BN), Michel Camp, to the parcel of land, but the said soldiers had escaped.

Later, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal Rocks Investments Limited, one Devine, who had travelled to the Volta Region, was informed that the police had sent for him from the PFU, and because he was away, made a manager of the company, Jacob Narteh Wayo, and another to honour the invitation on his behalf, which was done on Tuesday September 8, 2020.

But Detective Chief Inspector Paul Kwadwo Prah at the unit insisted on seeing only the CEO, Gideon.

On October 7, 2020 a police wireless message  originated from the Property Fraud Unit to the highway patrol, Tema, for the information of the Regional Commander, and reads: “Re-Case of trespass and harassment reported by Samuel Nii Afiesu Narh against unknown persons in respect of a parcel of land located at Afienya-Adjumador. Grateful soliciting assistance of a patrol team to assist and arrest the suspects found on the land, and inform me for collection. Complainant will assist in identifying suspects.

The investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Kwadwo Prah can be contacted on 024471… Regards. Signed by Chief Superintendent, Evelyn Borbor, 2I/C for the Unit Head.

The following day, Thursday October 8, 2020, at about 0730hrs, armed policemen in vehicles GP 3007, GP 3024 and GT 4477-19 stormed the walled premises and enquired of the whereabouts of the company’s security guard, Ex-WO, Vormawor, but he was not available.

Present was the President of the Asafohene of the Likpe Traditional Area (Asafohene of Likpe-Todome) Kofi Tulasi II, also a retired Staff Sergeant (S/Sgt).

According to him, he had information that the sister’s husband was bedridden with stroke so he arrived from the traditional area in the Oti Region with some herbs for the treatment of his ailing in-law.

He went on that the police, who started firing, claimed that he was one of those wanted so arrested him and handcuffed his right hand to a bar in the waiting patrol vehicle, and driven on a very bad road of potholes to the Dawhenya Police Station.

Drama unfolded when he remained handcuffed to the bar, because the key to open the cuffs had been left at the site.

The Chief went on that he perspired severely, became dehydrated and at a point wanted to pass urine, and as a royal he could not do it in public, as both police personnel and civilians gathered in a desperate attempt to release his hand from the cuffs.

Later, after about 45 minutes, the policeman having the key to the handcuffs arrived from the site where he (Chief) was arrested. The Chief says he was placed in cells up to about 1700 hours when he was granted bail, even though no statement was taken from him.

Reports gathered by the paper had it that as soon as the Chief was taken away, more armed men, including soldiers, accompanied by an excavator which commenced demolishing the heavy walls.

The company’s security guard, WO Vormawor, had information that his duty yard had been besieged, so he went for his pump action gun and gave a warning shot.

All of a sudden, and from his rear, armed policemen emerged, shouted, and asked if he wanted to kill the excavator operator. He was made to surrender his gun, handcuffed and driven in another patrol vehicle and sent to the Tema Regional CID office, where his statement was taken and kept till about 1630 hours, when he was released.

Meanwhile, the Tema Regional Crime Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Paul K. Frimpong, upon hearing of the unhealthy occurrence, ordered operational men in the region to beef up others on standby at Tema Community 25 Divisional Police Headquarters, commandeered by Chief Superintendent Foli.

On the ground the squad met the police patrols and the soldiers offering protection to the excavator as it brought down the walls.

When the operational team enquired from the armed personnel if they had a court order, they reportedly stated that they were acting on ‘Order From Above’.

The police patrols and soldiers were literally sacked from the parcel of land, now dotted with signages, some of which read ‘Military Property’, ‘Land Not 4 Sale’.

When ACP Mr Frimpong and C/Superintendent Mr Foli were contacted, they confirmed dispatching men to the parcel of land to prevail on the patrols and soldiers to produce a court order, and if not, should leave the area, to which the latter obliged.

The said WOI Agrah, when contacted on telephone, stated that he did not go to the land in the name of military property, but he personally purchased land from a different real estate developer, hence, his going to the area to claim his property.

WO Agrah went on to say that he did not break any fence wall.

At the CID Headquarters PFU, an official source confirmed the police wireless message originated from the unit, and that WO Agrah, indeed, produced documents to authenticate his purchase of the land from another developer.

The military authorities in Burma Camp, upon enquiry, confirmed such a case had been brought to their notice, and that it had initiated undiluted investigations into the issue.

Stay tuned.

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