General News of Friday, 6 April 2007

Source: Daily Searchlight

"Berlin Wall" in Ghana?

MP warns estate developers
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Adjapong, on Wednesday sent a clear and unambiguous warning to estate developer Ernesto Tiraconi to keep off his property or dance to an unpleasant music.

“I am giving Trasacco three weeks to put an end to this nonsense and stop trying to fence my land. If he fails then I will be going there, and no court or law is going to stop me from claiming what is rightfully mine," Hon. Adjapong said.

The strong-willed, hard talking and no nonsense MP was reacting to reports that he was one of the developers affected by the construction of an infamous 'Berlin Wall' at Nmai Dzorn, a suburb of Accra’s East Legon area.

According to the paper, Mr. Ernesto Tiraconi is currently constructing a wall spanning hundreds of feet, and cutting through various developments and public roads in a blatant attempt to claim lands that do not belong to him to add to his real estate empire.

"I am telling him that this nonsense must stop, and he has three weeks to make it stop," Hon. Adjapong said, and added ominously "Otherwise, he would have to deal with me!"

Explaining himself, he said that he returned a few days ago from a trip to the United States to learn that four plots of land he had bought from one Mr. Amponsah Adusei, of AMCO Estates Developers, was being encroached upon by Trasacco Estate Developers Limited, owned by Italian Ernesto Tiraconi.

"About four years ago I expressed interest in these plots and paid part of the money to Adusei. At the time I saw Trasacco developing some properties some distance away. But now he is encroaching on my land, putting up a wall that blocks me from accessing my land. This I would not allow," he said.

Hon. Adjapong accused Tiraconi of cheating people out of their lands for a long time, but he was not going to be a victim of the Italian.

"I am challenging him. I will match him dollar for dollar and macho man to macho man on this matter. I am giving him three weeks. I am travelling to the United States. When I come back I will go there and break down that wall, court or no court. I will not let any court stop me from protecting my rights," he said.

He advised people to keep from reading political meanings into the matter.

"As for this one they should not bring my being a Member of Parliament into it. They should not bring my party into it. I am fighting for my rights. I'll deal with this man one on one. No court will stop me," he said.

Hon. Adjapong accused Tiraconi of employing land guards, macho men and thugs to terrorize people from their lands.

"But that is not me. I know that he is using an individual called Mohammed to put fear into the hearts of the people, but if it becomes necessary, I’ll meet him at that level. I give him three weeks to tear down that wall, or I'll do it for him," he said.

“I'm respecting the courts for now. When I come back, it would be a different story. He says that he is an Italian. If he wants rough play, then we are going to play it his way. I'll go there fully prepared, and if he dares we shall see," Ken Adjapong warned.

The Assin North MP said that Tiraconi has been encroaching on another piece of land he owns.

"I put up my walls and he goes to break them down. It has been happening for some time now. Now I am calling his bluff. If he wants problems, then I will give him problems. He thinks he has money. I'll show him the people he goes about taking loans from. He should go and ask if I owe a dollar. I don't need to borrow, but he does. I'll match him all the way. I'm a nice guy but if a white man comes into this country to cheat me then … I challenge this Trasacco to count the number of houses he has there in his development and I will pay him $400, 000 for each one of them. I'll pay him for him to see that he cannot take Ghanaians for a ride.

"When I come back, hopefully in less than three weeks, there will be a show on this matter. I will break down that wall”, he said.