Greater Accra Minister Faces Contempt Ruling Over Dodowa Forest Land Dispute

The Adentan High Court 2 has scheduled 7th July 2026 as the date it will deliver its ruling in contempt proceedings brought against Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mrs Linda Ohenewaa Akweley Ocloo, following allegations that she defied a court order barring any development on a disputed piece of land within the Dodowa Forest in the Shai Osudoku District.

The case, presided over by Justice Osei Gyamfi, was adjourned after neither the minister nor any representative on her behalf appeared in court when the matter was called on Wednesday. Counsel for the applicant, Ms Christi Pearl Adomaku, argued that despite an interlocutory injunction being in force, the respondent had allegedly allowed work on the land to continue.

Ms Adomaku further alleged that the minister had publicly admitted knowledge of the injunction yet still instructed that activities on the site should proceed. In support of these claims, counsel tendered a pen drive containing an audio recording alongside a newspaper publication as evidence of the alleged deliberate disobedience.

According to an affidavit filed by the applicant, Bernard Oduro, the court granted the interlocutory injunction on 22nd October 2025, restraining all parties from carrying out any development on the land pending the final determination of the substantive matter. He stated that the injunction was duly served on both the minister and the Chief Director of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council.

Mr Oduro alleged that on 17th April 2026, portions of the land were nonetheless cleared and graded by individuals he claimed were acting on the direct instructions of the Regional Minister. The court had previously authorised substituted service of the contempt application on the minister after repeated attempts at personal service proved unsuccessful.

The dispute centres on land set aside for the proposed relocation of the Dodowa Market, a matter that has now escalated into a significant legal confrontation between a sitting regional minister and the courts.