GA E: GAEC wins court case over Atomic land

Prof. Benjamin Nyarko - DG

The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has won the contentious court case concerning the litigation over the parcel of land around the Atomic Junction area in the Ga East Municipality.

The said land had been fiercely contested by GAEC and the Onormorkor-Adain family, who were believed to have sold the land to Anaina International Company, an estate developer, for a proposed business city project.

In a previous High Court ruling the Lands Commission was ordered to allocate about  400.5 acres of land to the Onormorkor-Adain family but the family ignored the directive and went ahead to allocate to themselves a portion of the land that would suit them.

The situation however provoked authorities of GAEC, which resulted in an arson case.

The Applicant, Arthur Hammond Tetteh Quarcoo who later sued GAEC for destroying property on the said land belonging to Anaina International Company, prayed the court to charge the Former Director General (DG) Prof. Edward Akaho for contempt of court and also compensate the company for damages caused their property.

The court presiding over by Judge Justice Amoako Asante, indicated that the former DG could not be held in contempt because he was carrying out his legal mandate as the Head of the Commission.

According to Justice Amoako, considering the sensitive nature of the materials and equipment on the Atomic land, the applicant had no right to allocate any part of the land to themselves.

The court however awarded a cost of GHs500 against the Onormorkor-Adain family as compensation to the Commission for illegally encroaching on the GAEC land, which was of national importance.

GAEC authorities have described the ruling as fair and thanked the media and all Ghanaians for their continues support.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/Ghanadistricts.com