….As Security Capo denies returning unlawfully acquired land
The head of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed details of a field assessment conducted last Friday in Accra, which revealed the extent of alleged state property pillaging under the Akufo-Addo administration.
“These field trips are part of ongoing evidence gathering, validation of claims contained in petitions received from the general public, and comprehensive data compilation efforts within President Mahama’s ORAL preparatory framework,” Mr Ablakwa explained.
Team ORAL, inspected key locations, including the Dubois Centre, Agric Mechanization lands, Labadi Beach Hotel’s beachfront, La Trade Fair, the demolished Bulgarian Embassy site, and the encroached Northern Development Authority (NDA) land in Cantonments.
Interestingly, the Director of the National Investigation Bureau (NIB), Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, is reported to have voluntarily returned a parcel of state land he unlawfully acquired.
More Read
His decision was disclosed by private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, a member of the ORAL, who revealed that Mr Quaicoe, personally informed Mr Ablakwa of his willingness to relinquish the land.
But, Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, has since denied allegations that he contacted the ORAL to return a parcel of land he allegedly acquired illegally.
In a statement issued by KUDZE, KUDZE@LAW on behalf of Mr Quaicoe, the claims were described as “contrived, false, and without any basis.”
The statement emphasized that Mr Quaicoe, had not engaged with any member of the ORAL Committee, including Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on matters concerning state land.
The land, said to be located in the agric-mechanization lands area opposite the El Wak Stadium in Accra, was allegedly rezoned under the Akufo-Addo administration without proper procedure.
Mr Kpebu, described the rezoning process as fundamentally flawed, noting that it lacked parliamentary approval and failed to adhere to proper regulations.
“The director of the NIB, Mr Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, called our chairman, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to inform him that he was willing to relinquish his parcel of land in the agric-mechanization lands area. It is government land, but the Akufo-Addo administration illegally rezoned it. Checks at the Town and Country Planning Department show that they didn’t go through the right procedure. Parliament was not involved in the rezoning, so the beneficiaries of the land have not properly acquired any rights,” Mr. Kpebu explained.
President John Dramani Mahama, established ORAL on December 18, 2024, to spearhead the recovery of state properties and assets unlawfully taken by individuals, particularly under past administrations.
At the Dubois Centre, Mr Ablakwa, revealed that Team ORAL had to invite National Security to restore order after tensions flared between staff of the Ministry of Tourism and a company claiming to have been contracted by the outgoing government to manage the facility. Ministry staff reported that their offices had been locked and some had even received death threats.
“We then proceeded to the Agric Mechanization lands in Cantonments, where our team was pleased to see that the military had been deployed to halt the opaque appropriation of the lands by politically exposed persons associated with the outgoing government. These individuals evicted staff of the Agric Ministry and rezoned the area without parliamentary approval,” Mr. Ablakwa noted in a post circulated on Saturday.
He also disclosed that Team ORAL responded to distress calls at the Northern Development Authority (NDA) office in Cantonments. Upon arrival, they discovered that unidentified individuals had erected walls to claim large portions of NDA lands under questionable circumstances. National Security has been notified to protect the area.
Additionally, Team ORAL assured officials of the Bulgarian Embassy during a tour of their demolished property that their findings would be documented in a comprehensive report. Construction of an apartment complex on the demolished embassy land by Dr. Yaw Adu Ampomah, a former appointee of President Akufo-Addo to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), has been suspended.
“In the coming days, Team ORAL will continue our State Capture field assessments and validation exercises across the country to compile a credible and thorough report for President Mahama’s attention. We are determined to execute this preparatory task effectively and meet the high expectations of the Ghanaian people,” Mr Ablakwa concluded.
Nana Attobrah Quaicoe’s lawyers,further clarified that Mr Quaicoe, does not own or hold any illegally acquired government land, contrary to the assertions made by Martin Kpebu during his appearance on the television programme Keypoints, aired by TV3.
The legal team, led by Saviour Quarcoo Kudze, expressed their commitment to defending their client’s integrity and ensuring that the truth prevails in this matter.
The statement reiterated Mr Quaicoe’s commitment to transparency and adherence to legal processes in his dealings, dismissing the accusations as baseless attempts to tarnish his reputation.
“We urge the public to disregard these false statements calculated to injure our client’s reputation,” the statement read. It also called on Martin Kpebu to retract his “utterly false and defamatory statements,” warning that legal action may be taken to protect Quaicoe’s name and rights if the retraction is not made.
