The Accra Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Isaac Addo, has granted bail to 59-year-old Dogbe John and his son, Nathaniel Dogbe, aged 31, in the sum of GH¢60,000 each with two sureties both to be justified.
The two are accused of hiring land guards to vandalize the property of businessman Henry Afful over a lease disagreement.
The charges against the accused include trespassing, contrary to Section 157 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and engaging in prohibited activities of land guards, in violation of Section 12(1)(b)(ii) of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 999, 2019.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer told the court that the complainant, Henry Afful, a resident of Adenta and a businessman, owns a parcel of land at East Legon where he operates a block factory.
Afful had also developed several structures on the property, including a one-storey building and office spaces.
In 2019, Dogbe John approached Afful to lease the one-storey building for himself and his son, Nathaniel, to operate a barbering salon.
The parties agreed to a two-year lease, during which the accused were allowed to modify the property to suit their business needs.
At the expiration of the lease, Afful approached the accused to discuss a renewal, but they declined. Following this refusal, the accused allegedly took aggressive steps to claim the property.
According to the prosecution, the accused hired land guards to invade the area where Afful’s block factory was located.
They damaged the foundation footings on the land, dismantled a metal gate at the entrance of the property, and demolished a fence wall. The accused then began constructing a new fence wall on the site.
When Afful visited his block factory to assess the damage, he was attacked by the land guards hired by the accused.
Afful reported the incident to the police on September 9, 2024, leading to the arrest of the accused, who were granted police bail while investigations continued.
Despite the ongoing police investigation, the accused allegedly continued to employ the services of land guards to cause further damage to Afful’s property. Following a thorough investigation, they were charged with trespassing and engaging in the prohibited activities of land guards.
The case has sparked concerns about the illegal use of land guards in property disputes, with calls for stricter measures to prevent such violent tactics.
The court is expected to resume hearing the case on November 18, 2024.
