Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, a legal expert, has spoken out against the widespread seizure of state lands by politicians and individuals with political influence in government.
According to Dr. Srem-Sai, a detailed examination of the state lands capture dynamics will expose a sophisticated network of creative strategies and cleverly designed arrangements.
He revealed that the scheme involves a three-stage process, cleverly designed to create a false impression that politicians are distant from the deal and have no involvement in it.
“The government (politicians, I mean) offers a parcel of government land to a seemingly private person at a pittance – cheap. This stage is to avoid the obvious conflict of interest situation, and to make the initial transfer look like it’s to a neutral person in an open market”.
Dr. Justice Srem-Sai
Dr. Srem-Sai further revealed that a politician or politically exposed individual, often with insider connections to the sale, secretly provides funds to a proxy private person to purchase the land.
He noted that the land is subsequently registered in the proxy’s name as a nominal holding, creating a temporary layer of separation between the true beneficiary and the property.
Dr. Srem-Sai observed that at this stage, the politician remains entirely invisible, with no discernible connection to the transaction or ownership of the land, as the proxy’s name is the only one recorded.
He revealed that the private individual subsequently transfers ownership of the land to the politician or politically exposed person, typically within a short timeframe of several months, thereby completing the covert transaction.
He further explained that this final stage is carefully crafted to create the illusion that the politician has simply purchased the land from the open market.
As such, he pointed out that this obscures any evidence of the politician’s prior involvement and makes the transaction appear entirely legitimate.
Scheme Offers Politicians A Convenient Defense
Moreover, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai pointed out that the scheme provides a convenient defense for the politician or politically exposed person when caught, as they can simply claim to have purchased the land from a private individual.
He indicated that this plausible deniability allows them to feign innocence, asserting that they merely acquired the land through a legitimate market transaction, rather than directly from the government.
“Note that there could be a few more ‘neutral persons’ layered in between the State and the politician or politically exposed person. So, Hon. Ablakwa’s proposed law to protect public lands should have a provision that says something like this: (1) No interest in State land shall be transferred to a politician or a politically exposed person”.
Dr. Justice Srem-Sai
Dr. Srem-Sai further emphasized that Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s bill should include a crucial provision stating that any transfer of an interest in land to a politician or politically exposed person within 30 years of its acquisition from the State is null and void.
He asserted that this measure would effectively prevent the exploitation of state lands by politicians and politically exposed individuals, ensuring that such transactions are transparent and accountable.
He underscored the dire consequences of state land capture on the nation’s economy, noting how it perpetuates corruption throughout the government’s ranks, from top to bottom.
Dr. Srem-Sai stressed that it is imperative for citizens to prevent the concentration of state properties in the hands of a select few political elites, as this would be detrimental to the nation’s interests and the well-being of its citizens.
Meanwhile, recent revelations by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have brought to light a disturbing series of state land sales allegedly linked to the President, sparking widespread concern and outrage.
Despite the revelations, the Presidency and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources have dismissed claims that state lands are at risk of being seized by the political elite, denying any wrongdoing or impropriety in the handling of state properties.
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