Cocoa Affairs Courts Declared Unsafe

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Cocoa Affairs Courts Declared Unsafe



By William Yaw Owusu
Wednesday, 03 May 2006
THE 28th February Road Courts, popularly known as “Cocoa Affairs” have been declared unsafe for use by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

Mr Carl Henry Clerk, the Metro Works Director, said: “The structures as they stand now are very weak and cannot continue to accommodate the huge numbers who throng the courts each day”.

He announced this yesterday during an inspection tour of the place by Chief Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Attorney General-designate Joe Ghartey, Judicial Secretary Regina Apotsi and other top officials of the Judicial Service.

They were accompanied by a team of experts drawn from the Engineers Unit of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the AMA, the Fire Service as well as a private architectural consulting firm.

Colonel Nana Acheam- pong who led the GAF delegation, said the courts could be re-opened temporarily after the structures had been strengthened adding, “the structures need simple renovation to keep the courts running for one or two years.”

Michael Gabienu, Accra Metro Fire Officer said: “There is no fire defence arrangements on the premises.”

He said that even if the Judicial Service made provisions for a fire defence system, it would not be advisable to use the premises.

“The sea has deteriorated everything here and there is the need for new structures to be built,” he said.
A representative of Avangarde Design Services, an architectural consulting firm, said “certain aspects of the floor need strengthening before it could be used temporarily.”

The experts said they would use about one week to conduct physical investigations and advised that the courts should remain closed.

In an interview, Mr Ghartey said the visit was exploratory but he would not say when the courts would resume sitting.

Mr Justice Acquah for his part, said “the whole place is expected to be grounded to pave way for the construction of a new structure.”

The premises house about 18 High and Circuit Courts.