Freddie Blay alleges Mahama ordered demolition of son’s Polo Beach Club at La Beach

Former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, has accused President John Dramani Mahama of ordering the demolition of his son’s Polo Beach Club at the La Beach enclave in Accra.

Mr Blay alleged that the President personally directed the demolition despite an ongoing court dispute over the property.

During the NPP’s National Delegates Congress on Saturday, October 3, he said the development was one of the issues he believed should be raised against the government.

“I feel sorry. It is one of the complaints that I think people should hear against the NDC government and against President John Mahama, that he himself ordered it. I know,” he said.

Mr Blay argued that the demolition was inappropriate because the ownership dispute involving the property had not yet been determined by the court.

“The court is yet to determine it. Then you complain to the President and the President orders that they should go and break it. He [Mahama] has no respect for law,” he alleged.

According to Mr Blay, the dispute involving his son’s business and the Labadi Beach Hotel has been before the court for about two to three years without a final determination.

He rejected suggestions that the Polo Beach Club was operating as a squatter on land belonging to the hotel.

“My son has acquired land from the La Stool and did business on the land that belongs to the La Stool originally. They’ve leased it out. And we are working on it,” he said.

He also questioned the involvement of the President and National Security while the ownership dispute remained before the court.

“Is that law? Is that what is done in the country? Unless the court gives the order,” he said.

He made the revelations to Citinews.

The Polo Beach Club was demolished on Friday, October 2, during a security-backed clearance operation at the La Beach area.

The exercise involved personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces’ 48 Engineer Regiment and the Ghana Police Service and affected several structures, including the Polo Beach Club and La Pleasure Beach.

Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbe, has said the operation was not part of the government’s flood-mitigation exercise.

He said the action was carried out under National Security supervision following a request from the Labadi Beach Hotel over structures and commercial activities along its beachfront.

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), whose investment portfolio includes the Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, also said it had requested National Security intervention over what it described as persistent unlawful occupation, encroachment and unauthorised activities on the beachfront.

SSNIT cited concerns including hotel security, unauthorised access, sanitation, environmental damage and the potential impact on its investments. It said the beaches would be cleaned and restored and would remain open to the public.

Mr Blay’s allegation that President Mahama personally ordered the demolition has not been independently established in the public accounts of the operation.

The demolition has also attracted criticism from the Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, who said she had been assured that structures around the Labadi Beach area would not be affected and questioned the basis for the operation.