High Court Cracks Down: Police Operations Director, Others Hauled Before Court for Contempt
The High Court in Accra has cited the Director General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Vance Baba Gariba, together with other senior police officers, for contempt of court in the protracted and increasingly volatile Nmai Djor land dispute involving Madam Bortiokor Veronica and Trasacco Development Limited.
The contempt proceedings arise from an alleged blatant disregard for an interlocutory injunction issued by the court in a suit filed by Madam Bortiokor Veronica, a native of Nungua, against Trasacco Development Company Limited and others. The case, numbered G/TM/HLG/E1/125/2025, concerns ownership and control of a disputed 111-acre parcel of land at Nmai Djor, said to be under the custodianship of the Nungua Stool.
In a strongly worded press statement issued by the Youth and Traditional Leaders of Nungua, the court’s injunction—served more than three months ago—was described as unambiguous and legally binding, having the full force of law until determined otherwise by the court. The statement stressed that any interference with the land during the pendency of the injunction amounts to a clear act of contempt.
Despite this, the statement alleges that DSP Nafiu Shittu, COP Vance Baba Gariba, and Chief Inspector Evans Osae have willfully defied the court by continuing to direct police officers to supervise and provide cover for what it describes as “illegal and provocative activities” on the disputed land.
“These officers have been cited for contempt yet remain defiant, continuing to instruct their men to aid and abet unlawful operations on the land,” the statement charged.
The Council has consequently called on the Police Management Board to take immediate and decisive action to rein in the cited officers, warning that the credibility of the Ghana Police Service and the authority of the judiciary are at stake.
The statement further condemned Trasacco’s continued construction activities, allegedly backed by armed land guards and security personnel claiming judicial and political protection, describing the situation as a dangerous descent into impunity and a direct challenge to the authority of the court.
“This is a flagrant defiance of a lawful court order and an intolerable abuse of power. We will not stand idle while our ancestral lands are seized and our people subjected to intimidation and fear,” the group warned.
In a final ultimatum, the Youth and Traditional Leaders demanded that Trasacco Development, Empire Builders, and members of the Teshie Okpelor Sowah Din family immediately withdraw all land guards, armed personnel, and any form of military presence from the disputed site, insisting that court orders and traditional land rights must be respected without exception.
The group has also appealed to the government and the leadership of the Ghana Police Service to act swiftly to restore calm and uphold the rule of law in Nmai Djor, cautioning that continued inaction could undermine peace, stability, and legitimate development in the area.
As tensions escalate, all eyes are now on the court and the police hierarchy to enforce accountability and reaffirm the supremacy of the law.
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