The National Security Coordinator, Lt. Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, (rtd) yesterday appeared before an Accra Fast Track High Court (Human Rights Division) in connection with a contempt application filed by the Member of Parliament for Weija, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, against him.
The National Security chief was in court for the commencement of the contempt hearing but had to go and return on December 16, 2010 because the MP, who was not aware that he would be in court, was also busy in Parliament.
Ms. Botchway filed the contempt application for alleged human rights abuse by operatives of the National Security who had prevented her from putting up her building at North Ridge and had arrested her foreman at site.
In a court presided over by Justice Utter Peter Derry, counsel for the applicant, Egbert Faibille prayed the court to adjourn the case for him to get in touch with the MP who was to give evidence in the hearing. However, the senior state attorney in the case, A. Adadevoh, wanted the contempt motion to be moved right away but the judge had the case adjourned.
The applicant, Ms. Botchway, in the substantive case, filed a writ against Lt. Col. Gbevlo-Lartey (rtd), Brigadier Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, National Security Advisor and the Attorney-General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, over a plot of land belonging to her which operatives of the National Security, acting on the instructions of their boss, went and ordered her to stop building because they said the place belonged to the state.
She went to the court for enforcement of her human rights and also to have the respondents restrained as she claimed she acquired the land through lawful means and had documents to prove her claim.
Later, a certain Inspector Azaglo, under the said orders of the National Security capo, went and arrested the MP’s foreman and had him locked up in custody for continuing with the building.
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