Tema: A Tema High Court (Land Division), presided over by Her Ladyship Malike Awo Woanyah Dey, has cautioned the management of the Devtraco Woodlands Limited against entering a 2.44-acre disputed land at Miotso in the Ningo-Prampram District. The court issued the warning after hearing arguments from the counsels of Devtraco Woodlands and Sky Limit Structure Builders Limited, the respondent and applicant, respectively. This action follows an earlier conviction of the company for failing to comply immediately with a court order to remove containers and structures it had erected on the contested land.

According to Ghana News Agency, a certified true copy of the ruling on the contempt application reveals that the application was submitted by Sky Limit to hold Devtraco Woodlands in contempt of court for undermining the administration of justice. The applicant’s managing director, Mr. Samuel Barrington, deposed in an affidavit that on 14th August, a writ and summons along with a statement of claim were issued against the respondent. This was accompanied by an application for an interlocutory injunction to restrain Devtraco Woodlands from developing the land until the suit’s final determination.

The court noted that exhibits from the applicant supported its claim that the respondent had continued development on the disputed land despite the pending contempt application and substantive case. The court found this to be evidence of contempt, stating that such actions could not be countenanced while the matter is sub judice. The court emphasized that the applicant successfully demonstrated that development had occurred on the land while legal proceedings were still ongoing.

The ruling further highlighted that although the court had opted for an expeditious trial instead of ruling on the interlocutory injunction, this did not entitle any party to develop the land or alter its state. The court reiterated the importance of respecting legal authority, stressing that citizens cannot take the law into their own hands, as the courts exist to maintain law and order in a lawful society.