Mechanic remanded over alleged possession of forged land documents

The Accra Circuit Court Nine has remanded a 56-year-old mechanic for allegedly possessing forged land documents.

Atta Alhassan was denied bail because he was arraigned on a bench warrant.

Alhassan denied possessing forged documents and would be brought back before the Court on May 9, 2024.

Police Chief Inspector Daniel Danku informed the Court, presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, that the complainant in the case is a private Legal practitioner living in Accra.

The accused is a vehicle mechanic and a resident of Aworshie, a suburb of Accra.

He said that in 2002, the complainant applied to the Ghana Railways Company Limited, now the Ghana Railway Development Authority, for a 50-year lease on a piece of land in Avenor, Accra.

Chief Inspector Danku said the application was approved and an Engineers’ plan No. CE 2613/L dated 05/08/2022 showed the area of 0.15 acres of the land the company leased to him.

He said the complainant, who could not immediately start development on the land, placed his brothers on the land as care takers and visited the land regularly to ensure that no physical development took place on it by mechanics who had their shops and vehicles littered on it.

The prosecution said in December 2019, the complainant secured a building permit from the Okaikoi South Sub-Metro District Council of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to begin construction on the land.

It said in May 2023, the complainant went to the land and requested that Alhassan remove his vehicles parked on it so that he could start development.

Alhassan refused to quit the site, instead bringing in more heavy-duty vehicles and buses to flood it, preventing the complaint from developing it.

The Court heard that after numerous attempts to get the accused to vacate the land, the complainant reported the matter to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, which removed the vehicles.

Chief Inspector Danku said the accused who was offended by the action, threatened to hire thugs to destroy whatever project the complainant built on the land.

The court was told that the complainant reported the case to police, prompting Alhassan’s invitation to assist with the investigation.

During the investigation, Alhassan claimed the land and presented a lease agreement purported to be issued by Ghana Railway Company Limited on May 21, 2001, with Engineers Plan No. CE 1998/1/L.

The prosecution noted that a search done at the Ghana Railways Development Authority proved the complainants’ lease with them and that the document supplied by the accused did not originate from them.

Chief Inspector Danku said the accused could not mention who issued the lease document to him and had since refused to cooperate with police investigations.

He was therefore served with accused summons to appear before court.