A document launched by the ad hoc committee, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), which was set up by President John Dramani Mahama to investigate the alleged misappropriation of state assets, has caused a stir with claims of “state capture” linked to two properties supposedly acquired by close family members of former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The properties in question, located at 33 Rangoon Switchback Road in Cantonments, Accra, are home to the popular seafood restaurant Nsuomnam and the luxury couture store The Lotte. According to the ORAL document, these properties were allegedly acquired by the Akufo-Addo family at significantly undervalued prices, raising suspicions of corruption and misconduct. The committee claims the land transactions were part of a broader scheme to capture state assets under the previous administration.
However, a simple search at the Lands Commission has revealed that the properties are, in fact, part of the estate of the late Justice Johnson Siriboe, a prominent Ghanaian jurist. The Siriboe family has owned several adjoining properties in the area for decades, and these two buildings—home to Nsuomnam and The Lotte—are no exception. Justice Siriboe passed away in a tragic road accident in 2001, and his family, including his daughter Nana Yaa Siriboe, have continued to manage the estate.
According to the records, the two properties in question are part of the Siriboe estate, with tenancy agreements signed by the estate’s administrators, Kwame Adarkwa Yiadom Siriboe and Otuo Agyeman Siriboe. Both businesses, Nsuomnam and The Lotte, have tenancy agreements dating back to April 1, 2021, for a six-year term with the option to renew. The claims made in the ORAL document by its chairman, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP, that these properties were part of a “land grab” by the Akufo-Addo family, have been directly refuted by the Lands Commission’s records.
The ORAL document contained a chapter titled “Akufo-Addo Daughter’s Nsuomnam Land Grab,” which claimed the land for the restaurant was purchased for a significantly lower amount than its market value. Similarly, another section, titled “Akufo-Addo Niece’s LOTTE Land Grab,” alleged that the land for The Lotte was also acquired at a drastically undervalued price. Both sections cited “conflicting search certificates” and raised questions about transparency and accountability at the Lands Commission.
However, upon conducting a search at the Lands Commission, it was confirmed that both properties were owned by the estate of Justice Johnson Siriboe and not by the Akufo-Addo family. In fact, Nsuomnam is owned by Mrs. Edwina Akufo-Addo Jumah, the daughter of the former president, while The Lotte is run by her cousin, Mrs. Adeline Akufo-Addo Kufuor. The land transactions appear to have been properly documented and consistent with the Siriboe family’s longstanding ownership of the land.
The revelation has cast doubt on the claims made in the ORAL document and raised questions about the credibility of the allegations of “state capture” leveled against the Akufo-Addo family. While the ORAL committee continues its investigations into state assets and land acquisitions, the new information provided by the Lands Commission calls into question the accuracy of the claims made regarding the Nsuomnam and The Lotte properties.
