Polo Beach files injunction against Labadi Beach Hotel over Jakpa’s threats to demolish club

A major legal showdown is brewing over a prime beachfront property in Accra after Spartan Ives Limited, operators of the renowned Polo Beach Club, filed an application for an injunction to stop the Labadi Beach Hotel from allegedly moving ahead with plans to demolish the club.

The application, filed before the High Court in Accra, also seeks to restrain Richard Jakpa, Director of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, and anyone acting under his authority from interfering with the club pending the determination of the substantive land dispute.

According to court documents cited by the Daily Guide, the dispute centres on ownership and occupation of beachfront land at Labadi. The substantive case was initiated by Labadi Beach Hotel and remains pending before the court.

Polo Beach raises alarm over alleged demolition threat

In an affidavit supporting the injunction application, Polo Beach Club alleges that Jakpa informed its officials and lawyer that the Labadi Beach Hotel wanted the club demolished.

The club claims Jakpa described the proposed demolition as “non-negotiable and irreversible”, despite being informed that the underlying land dispute was already before the court.

According to the affidavit, Jakpa allegedly rejected suggestions that the parties should allow the court to determine the matter and indicated that the demolition would proceed based on his own assessment.

Polo Beach is now asking the court to intervene before any physical action is taken.

The land dispute at the centre of the fight

Labadi Beach Hotel reportedly argues that the entire Labadi beachfront falls within an Executive Instrument and is therefore owned by the Government of Ghana.

The hotel also reportedly contends that the beachfront constitutes a buffer zone between the sea and adjoining land and that Polo Beach Club was constructed without the necessary building permit.

Polo Beach Club has strongly denied these assertions.

The club says it holds a 20-year lease from the La Stool, has made substantial payments towards the lease and obtained building and operating permits from the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly.

‘How can the hotel claim government land?’

Polo Beach Club has questioned the consistency of Labadi Beach Hotel’s position.

According to the club’s court application, the hotel has itself allegedly leased or rented adjoining beachfront space from the La Stool over the years and made payments to the traditional authority, including payments as recently as 2023.

The club therefore argues that it is difficult to reconcile the hotel’s alleged position that the entire beachfront is government land with its own dealings concerning adjoining beachfront property.

These claims remain matters for the court to determine.

‘Small compensation’ enters the dispute

The situation took another turn after the hotel reportedly appointed a consultant to enter the Polo Beach Club premises and conduct a valuation.

According to the affidavit, the valuation was intended to determine a proposed “small compensation” that could be offered to the club in connection with the proposed demolition.

Polo Beach says it fears that refusing to cooperate with the valuation could lead to an immediate demolition.

The club is therefore urging the court to prevent any party from obtaining through administrative action what it is seeking through the ongoing litigation.

Club says it is worth GH¢41.3 million

Polo Beach Club has also placed a substantial value on the property and its operations.

The club reportedly estimates its market value at approximately GH¢41.3 million, with a forced-sale value of about GH¢30.975 million.

It further says it employs more than 100 people and has developed into a major tourism and events destination, attracting international visitors and celebrities.

The club also says it has undertaken works to protect portions of the beachfront, including measures aimed at addressing tidal flooding.

Court asked to stop demolition

Polo Beach Club’s application is seeking an urgent injunction restraining Labadi Beach Hotel, its agents and assigns, as well as Jakpa and persons acting under his authority, from taking steps to demolish or interfere with the club.

The club argues that allowing a demolition before the substantive case is determined could render the court proceedings meaningless.

It is therefore asking the court to preserve the existing situation until the legal battle over the land is resolved.

A potentially explosive beachfront battle

The dispute has now escalated beyond a conventional land disagreement, with the alleged demolition threat bringing the matter into sharper focus.

At stake are not only questions surrounding ownership and development rights but also the future of a prominent beachfront business, the livelihoods of its workers and the authority of the court to determine the underlying dispute.

For now, the substantive case remains before the High Court, while Polo Beach Club is seeking urgent judicial protection against what it describes as a looming demolition.

The court’s decision on the injunction could therefore determine whether the club remains standing while the much bigger battle over the disputed beachfront land continues.