Supreme Court To Rule On Jake Bungalow Case

The Supreme Court today set a date for a ruling on the purchase of a government bungalow by opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey during his time in public service in the erstwhile Kufuor administration.

The legality of his purchase is being contested by Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa and Dr Edward Omane-Boamah – Deputy Minister of Information and Deputy Minister of Environment Science and Technology respectively.

They have argued the nullification of the purchase on the bases that it is unconstitutional.

The parties in the case today told the court that they had no new evidence to present and will relay on their earlier submissions and arguments to prosecute the case, hence, the panel’s decision to adjourn the case to 9 May, 2012, when judgement will be delivered.

The facts of the case is that, the two plaintiffs, in their personal capacities, in 2008 brought a suit against the NPP Chairman over his purchase of bungalow No. 2 at Mungo Street, Ridge residential area, Accra, when he was the Chief of Staff at the Presidency.

They sought to restrain by order of injunction the Chairman of the Lands Commission of Ghana and the Chief Registrar of Lands at the Land Title Registry from registering the title in the name of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey.

In the writ invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the applicants are praying the court to declare that by virtue of articles 20(5), 23, 257, 258, 265, 284 and 296 of the 1992 Constitution, the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing in the Kufuor administration acted outside the boundaries of his authority to direct the sale of the state property to Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey.

They are also praying on the court to order that any such direction for the disposal, sale or outright transfer of the said property in dispute or any other public land to Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey was illegal and unconstitutional.

Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa and Dr Edward Omane-Boamah were present in court while Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey was represented.