Obiri Boahen Sues Dampare, 8 Top Police Officers Over Land

Nana Obiri Boahen, a private legal practitioner and former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Deputy General Secretary, has filed a writ at the Sunyani High Court in the Bono Region seeking action be taken against nine police officers.

In the said writ, he appeals to the court to hold the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare and eight other police personnel in contempt, calling on the court to imprison them for contempt.

The individuals cited in the writ include Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Joseph Gyamerah Oklu, Bono Regional Police Commander; Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gyasi; Chief Inspector Mohammed Mustapha; DSP Peter Owusu; Chief Superintendent Solomon Korli; and police personnel Alhaji Shaibu, Bernard Asare, and Emmanuel Kpodo.

According to a report filed by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper on August 17, 2023, the presiding judge, Justice Harry Acheampong Poku, granted the “motion on notice for contempt” ensuring the motion was served through substituted service by posting copies at the High Court, Ghana Police Service headquarters, and the Bono Regional Police Command.

The matter according to the writ revolves around the alleged stubbornly disobedient behavior and disregard for law and order by the named police personnel in relation to a Circuit Court judgment delivered on July 28, 2022, by Justice Sylvester Nii Okine Ablorh. The said judgment was reportedly made a ruling in favor of Nana Obiri Boahen.

According to the issue, an accompanying affidavit, submitted by a Sunyani-based legal firm, elaborated on the background of the case. The plaintiff had initiated legal action against DSP Gyasi, accusing him of harassment and intimidation of agents operating on a piece of land owned by Nana Obiri Boahen.

The affidavit said despite the judgment and notifications sent to the respondents, they continued to harass, intimidate, bully, arrest, and detain the agents who had entered the land.

The affidavit further detailed instances of arrests and detentions of individuals who were involved in activities on the disputed land. It alleged that certain respondents had cited instructions from the IGP to defy court orders, leading to a flouting of legal directives.