Clement Gyato allegedly uses 'orders from above' to demolish property at Labone

An alleged known land guard, Clement Gyato, who claimed to be acting on the orders from the presidency, has led a group of persons to carry out an unlawful demolition exercise of a storey building worth US$450,000 at Labone, near Cellsbridge in Accra, belonging to Sylbert System and Consults Limited with the Digital Address of GD-047-0489.

This paper can confirm that Clement Gyato and his gang stormed the property in the early hours of Friday, October 27, 2023, with a bulldozer and pulled down the storey building to grounds zero without any Court Order.

The action undertaken on the land by way of the demolition on 27th October, 2023 by Clement Gyato, Minister for Works and Housing, Inspector General of Police (IGP), National Operations team, National Signal Bureau led by Benjamin Prempeh, Theresa Tuffuor (Director Ministry of Works and Housing) and Rev. Yaw Osei-Ag. Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing was unlawful and contempt of Court per the records of proceedings at the Court.

The unlawful demolition exercise by Clement Gyato was done with the assistance of land guards and supervised by the National Operations team of the Ghana Police Service.

It could even be recalled that Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Lands, Benito Owusu-Bio. was on 12 July 2022, hauled before Parliament over his ministry’s engagements with Clement Gyato, the Director of Messrs Aynok Holdings Limited, where he claimed Clement Gyato was specifically contracted to help retain all reclaimed government lands.

But, the Speaker of Parliament according to reports took exceptions to that and reprimanded the ministry for taking such action and entering into agreement with Clement Gyato without parliamentary approval.

However, in April 2023, a writ (Suit. No. C1/201/2023 was filed by Sylbert System and Consults Limited (Plaintiff) filed at the High Court against Mrs. Theresa Tuffuor (Defendant) - Director in Charge of Housing at the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Ministry (2nd Defendant, Respondent), for an Order a declaration of Title of the land in dispute, an order against the Defendants from claiming ownership of the land, and further trespassing of the land in issue and general damages against the Defendants being the Minister, Director in Charge of Housing and the entire management of the Ministry of Works and Housing.

The Plaintiff (Sylbert System and Consults Limited) further sought for orders from the Court for Perpetual Injunction directed against the Defendants, their agents, assigns, privies, workmen with their work force restraining all of them from ever again interfering with the Plaintiff’s land.

The Plaintiff in his Statement of Claim paragraph 4, indicated that he acquired the stated land through a Deed of Assignment with an Indenture made 20th February, 2013 between Ishmael Quarcoo of Accra (Assignor) and Sylbert System and Consults Limited, represented by its Managing Director (Assignee).

The Plaintiff further averred that, he traced his root of Title in the stated land “herein described in the words by Deed of Lease dated by 14th November 2000 with Index No. AR/7041/2000 stamped as LVB 6325/2000 made between State Housing Company Limited of Accra in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana, described as the Corporation of the one part and Ishmael Quarcoo of Accra in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana, the “Assignor” herein described as the “Lessee” part of which is intended to be hereby assigned were demised unto the Lessee for the residue of the unexpired term granted by the Head Lease.

The Plaintiff again on the 22nd June 2023, filed Penal Notice against the Defendants for the second time for their unlawful trespass and interference on the disputed land which case is pending before the Court; one of such unlawful interference was the use of Property Fraud Unit of the Ghana Police Service personnel to harass the Plaintiff on the land.

The Penal Notice was directing further instructions after Defendant failed to purge himself of contempt and seek for contempt procedures against Defendants.

Further investigations revealed that the States Housing Company officially wrote to the Lands Commission to expunge the registration in the name of Sylbert System and Consults Limited from the Land Commission registry records.

However, in its response to States Housing Company’s request, the Ag. Greater Accra Regional Lands Officer, Timothy Anyidoho noted that per their records, the subject site is affected by the following transactions:

1. State land acquired under certificate of title with Serial No. 668/1951 dated 20th August 1951 for government service.

ii. Lease dated 14th November 2000, from State Housing Company Limited to Ishmael Quarcoo and
iii. Assignment dated 20th February 2013 from Ishmael Quarcoo to Sylbert System and Consults Limited, and requested the States Housing Company to authenticate the above records information on the said Ishmael Quarcoo’s property to Sylbert System and Consults Limited, with a specified attached site plan.

It could be recalled that this Order by the State Housing Company to expunge the name of Sylbert System and Consults Limited was being fraudulently carried without an Order from a Court judgement.

A Motion for Interim Injunction was filed at the Adenta High Court was granted on 31st July 2023, ordering the Defendants (Mrs Theresa Tuffuor, Ghana Police Service, National Security and the Lands Commission) all restrained from harassing the Plaintiff and his agents and workmen on the land.

The Plaintiff’s lawyers, according to information, were notified in writing that the case before the Adenta Court has been transferred to the High Court in Accra on the orders of the Attorney General.

This is when the modus operandi of Clement Gyato, the Minister for Works and Housing, Inspector General of Police (IGP), National Operations team, National Signal Bureau led by Benjamin Prempeh, Theresa Tuffuor (Director in Charge of Housing) moved into the land again with impunity, defiling all the orders, restrain actions of the Court to carry out the unlawful demolition with the instructions by Clement Gyato of ‘Orders from Above’.

It could further be recalled that Clement Gyato has been cited in a petition to parliament and other land grading syndicate with some government officials with land guards, the police assistance and thugs belonging to his own registered security company, Anyok Holdings.

Intelligence gathered indicates that Clement Gyato has been cited in several land cases, with thugs, land guards and being supervised by police personnel with weapons.

However, document cited from the Lands Commission dated 27th April 2023, SCR/LCS 473/V23/14 indicates that a Joint Venture Agreement was signed between the Ministry of Works and Housing and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to commit 37 sites plans out of which 16 site plans were occupied but 21 site plans were vacant to proceed for the joint venture and to be sold to developers.

Meanwhile, an official certificate of Result of a Search from the Lands Commission confirms an authenticated transaction by Title Certificate from the State Housing Limited in 2000 to Mr. Ishmael Quarcoo in 2013, and an Assignment to Sylbert Systems and Consult Limited without any further plotted activity records on the said land.