LAWRENCE ACQUAH AND 4 ORS vs. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE AND 4 ORS [2023]DLHC16077

Date	2023-03-23
Suit No.	SUIT NO. HR/0086/2021
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC16077

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE BARBARA TETTEH-CHARWAY (MRS.)

IVY VANDERPUIJE (P.S.A) FOR THE RESPONDENTS - PRESENT

[2023]DLHC16077
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >LAWRENCE
ACQUAH AND 4 ORS<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>INSPECTOR
GENERAL OF POLICE AND 4 ORS<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION ONE, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">SUIT NO. HR/0086/2021&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DATE: 23RD MARCH 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">IVY
VANDERPUIJE (P.S.A) FOR THE RESPONDENTS -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
PRESENT <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HER
LADYSHIP JUSTICE BARBARA TETTEH-CHARWAY (MRS.)<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PARTIES<o:p></o:p>1st Applicant describes himself
as a draughtsman, a farmer and businessman while the other applicants are his
workmen. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents
are policemen while the 5th Respondent is the Attorney General.<o:p></o:p>2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; FACTS
OF THE CASE<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Applicant’s
case<o:p></o:p>3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Applicants’ case is that by a deed
of lease dated 16th September 2011, the 1st Applicant
acquired a parcel of land from the Awura Naa Hansen Family of Accra, acting by
their representatives, Arthur Robert Otoo Chinery and Raymond William Benjamin
Hesse.<o:p></o:p>4]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1st
Applicant took possession of said land by putting the 2nd to 5th
applicants on the land to cultivate a farm on it. 1st applicant
claims he continued to enjoy quiet possession of said land until sometime in
January 2019, when he noticed that sections of the land were being developed by
rival claimants.<o:p></o:p>5]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1st
Applicant reported the alleged trespassers to the police who advised him to
take legal action against them as evidenced by Exhibit D, a police report.
Based on the advice of the police 1st applicant caused his lawyer to
commence an action at the High Court, Land Division, which is still pending. 1st
Applicant claims that in the course of proceedings, some of the defendants in
the said action forcibly entered the land and contempt proceedings were instituted
against them which culminated in their conviction.<o:p></o:p>6]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1st
Applicant claims that the Lands Commission, unaware of pendency of said suit,
issued a provisional certificate to one of the defendants but same was recalled
when he petitioned the Commission.<o:p></o:p>7]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1st
Applicant claims that land guards started attacking the 2nd to 5th
applicants on the land therefore he petitioned 1st Respondent for
protection and 1st Respondent per exhibit H, directed him to the
Pokuase Police for assistance.&nbsp; 1st
Applicant alleges that 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Respondents have been harassing applicants on the land. That in particular, on
26th June 2021, around 5:00am, the 2nd applicant was
rudely woken from sleep by 2nd, 3rd and 4th
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