The Chief of Katamanso, Tatse Nii Laryea Akueiteh X, has rejected claims made in two Ghanaian Times publications from September 2025 suggesting that New Legon residents and estate developers were being harassed by landguards and that some of these landguards had been arrested.
The Ghanaian Times, in its September 16, 2025 edition, published a front-page story titled “Landguards on Rampage: New Legon residents, estate developers live in fear,” and another on September 18, 2025, with the headline “Another suspect nabbed over landguard activities in New Legon.”
“We write in rebuttal pursuant to The Ghanaian Times Newspaper publications dated September 16, 2025, on the front page ‘Landguards on Rampage,’ and September 18, 2025, ‘Another suspect nabbed’ on page 3 respectively. We write to deny the content of the above publications and the tag accorded the distinguished personalities as landguards and say that it is false,” the Chief of Katamanso said in a rejoinder copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
Tatse Nii Laryea Akueiteh X explained that the individuals described as landguards were, in fact, the rightful custodians of Katamanso lands, which include the disputed area in question.
The rejoinder alleged that one Jeff Bortey and his father, Oko Borlabi of Bi-Fon Ltd, were behind the false publications and were attempting to dispossess genuine grantees of the late Katamanso Mantse, Nii Otu Akwetey IX, of their legally acquired lands. According to the statement, their schemes faced resistance from residents, prompting them to resort to defamation.
“We wish to put on record that Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo (Tatse Nii Laryea Akuetteh X) is the substantive Chief of Katamanso; Ebenezer Quaye-Kumah (Nii Kweifio Kootse III) and Aaron Laryea Otoo (Nii Afotey Oblum II) are the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Lands and Legal Committees of the Katamanso Divisional Council respectively; Nii Okley Amaglah Gbetsol II is the Director of Operations of the Katamanso Divisional Council; while Vandam (Asafoatse Osabu) serves as Captain of the Pinkwai Forest enclave. These are all dignified personalities clothed with authority in the administration of Katamanso who do not engage in landguard activities or employ landguards in the execution of their duties,” the rejoinder clarified.
It further alleged that Jeff Bortey and his father, Oko Borlabi, were the ones actively involved in landguard operations within the disputed area, forcefully annexing lands and properties and selling them to third parties. “Upon resistance from residents in the area, they have resorted to tagging us as landguards,” the rejoinder concluded.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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