Lawyer petitions Interior Minister, AG over alleged police abuse in Okpoi Gonno land dispute
A private legal practitioner, Gift Emmanuel Kofi Tsamah, has petitioned the Interior Minister and the Attorney-General over alleged abuse of police authority in a dispute concerning land he claims to own at Okpoi Gonno in the Ledzokuku Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Tsamahis is demanding an independent investigation into the conduct of personnel in the Property Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department.
The petition, also addressed to the National Security Coordinator and the Director of Operations at Jubilee House, alleges that officers arrested him despite his voluntary cooperation with an investigation and the presentation of documents supporting his ownership claim.
He further accuses personnel of the unit of assisting individuals he names as Yakubu Ibrahim and Saniki Awala to interfere with the property.
Ownership claim and police invitation
According to Mr Tsamah, his interest in the land is supported by an indenture dated 9 February 2012 and a Land Title Certificate dated 21 November 2019.
He says he has developed the property since 2018, putting up a gated fence wall and a one-bedroom building without obstruction.
“My ownership and possession of the property pre-date the present dispute,” he stated in the petition.
He said concerns about possible interference began on 30 September 2026, when his cousin, Fredson Kofi Tetteh, who lives on the property, reported that a man had been driving around the premises and taking photographs.
Mr Tsamah said his cousin sent him a video and a photograph of the incident.
He subsequently honoured invitations to the Property Fraud Unit on 6 and 7 October 2026, intending to cooperate with its investigation and present evidence of his interest in the land.
However, he alleges that officers placed him under arrest despite his voluntary attendance and presentation of his Land Title Certificate.
“Instead of being treated as a person voluntarily cooperating with an investigation, I was placed under arrest,” he wrote.
Questions over evidence supporting rival claim
Mr Tsamah argues that officers failed to disclose the documentary evidence underpinning the competing ownership claim.
According to him, a one-page petition attributed to Yakubu Ibrahim and shown to him alleged ownership of plots at Okpoi Gonno but did not provide specific descriptions or particulars identifying the land.
He maintains that his documents should have prompted a fair assessment of both parties’ claims.
“The existence of a registered land title and other ownership documents ought to have warranted a fair, impartial and evidence-based investigation,” he stated.
Alleged intimidation and assault
The petitioner also alleges that, on the morning of 6 October, a police detective visited the property with seven civilian men whom he believed to be land guards.
He claims the group arrived in two unregistered vehicles and attempted to intimidate and arrest his cousin.
In a further account referring to 13 October 2026, Mr Tsamah alleges that Saniki Awala, whom he describes as a prospective buyer of the property, led a group of alleged land guards onto the premises.
He claims his cousin was assaulted after attempting to record their conduct on his phone.
These accounts remain allegations contained in the petition and have not been independently verified.
Mr Tsamah says the incidents have raised concerns that police powers are being used to advance a private claim to the land.
“The conduct complained of gives the unfortunate impression that the Police are being used as an instrument to aid one party in a land dispute,” he wrote.
Calls for independent investigation
Mr Tsamah is asking the authorities to investigate the circumstances of his arrest and determine whether any officer acted improperly, unlawfully or beyond their authority.
He also wants the Property Fraud Unit to disclose the full complaint and all documents relied upon by the individuals asserting an interest in the property.
The petition seeks administrative or legal action against any officer found to have abused their position, alongside measures to ensure an impartial investigation based on verifiable evidence.
Mr Tsamah says he remains willing to cooperate with any legitimate inquiry and provide the relevant documents in his possession.
However, he objects to what he describes as the use of arrest and intimidation to advance another individual’s claims without first establishing their evidential and legal basis.
The petition lists his indenture, Land Title Certificate and photographs relating to his occupation and development of the property among its supporting documents.
The supplied document contains no response from the Ghana Police Service or the individuals named in the allegations.
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