Religion of Friday, 11 May 2012

Source: By Charles Takyi-Boadu

ICGC in Trouble

THE INTERNATIONAL Central Gospel Church (ICGC) has been dragged to court over a parcel of land at the Oblogo village near McCarthy Hill. The suit was filed at an Accra High Court by one Eric Darko Owiredu (plaintiff) who has accused the church and one Nii Adam Kwatei Quartey of the Gbawe Kwatei royal family (defendants) of encroaching on his property covering an approximate area of 1.38 acres more or less.

Plaintiff claims to have acquired the land from one Clarkson Thomas Nylander somewhere in December 1972 and made subsequent payment after which he dully registered his interest in the land at the Lands Commission. He says in his statement of claim that he put his servants in occupation of the land without any form of disturbance until somewhere in 2011 when the church trespassed onto the property, demolishing structures belonging to him whilst forcibly ejecting his servants. Mr. Owiredu averred that he had cause to lodge a complaint with the police in respect of the encroachment and the damages caused.

In spite of the fact that the police put the first defendant who happens to be Nii Adam Kwatei Quartey before an Accra circuit court for causing damage to his property, plaintiff noted the 2nd defendant which is ICGC was making frantic efforts to continue with its trespass and would totally alter the purpose for which he intends to use the tract of land if it is not restrained by the court.

Plaintiff is therefore seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants’ agents, workmen, privies and assigns from dealing in any way with the land which is the subject matter of the dispute until final determination of the suit.

Apart from that, he has also prayed the court for a declaration of title to the piece of land at Oblogo village as described in his statement of claim with damages and cost.