The 4th La Shikitele, Nii Adjei Koofeh IV, has asked the investigative committee probing the redevelopment of La Pleasure Beach to demand documents from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to substantiate its claim to portions of the disputed land.

He said some of the areas affected by the recent demolition do not appear to be covered by the acquisition documents available to the La Traditional Council.

According to Nii Adjei Koofeh IV, the issue of ownership must therefore be properly investigated before any redevelopment of the beach proceeds.

Addressing the media, he said a committee expected to examine the dispute must scrutinise the relevant land documents and require all parties to substantiate their claims.

"We also said that when the committee starts, all claims to the land should be established and justified with valid documents," he said.

Nii Adjei Koofeh IV explained that the government made an acquisition in 1967, with the southern portion of the land being the area SSNIT claims was allocated for the development of the hotel and the beach.

"The acquisition was made by the government in 1967, and the southern part, the map that I showed you, the southern part is what SSNIT claims was given to them for the purposes of the hotel, and that includes the beach," he said.

However, he said the Traditional Council's position is based on the documents in its possession, which it believes show that some portions of the beach affected by the redevelopment do not fall within the acquisition.

"But this is now coming up because over the years we have been in control of the beach and all those who operate there pay rent to us," he said.

He said the Traditional Council had exercised control over the beach for years, including collecting rent from businesses operating there.

Nii Adjei Koofeh IV also cited the Labadi Beach Hotel's dealings with the Traditional Council as part of the basis for the Council's position.

He said the hotel had previously approached the Council over a lease for part of the beach it uses.

"The Labadi Beach Hotel even pays rent to us for the portion that they use at the beach," he said.

According to him, the hotel wrote to the Traditional Council in 2022 seeking a lease for the area for a period of about 20 years.

"In 2022, they wrote to us for us to even give them a lease for about 20 years."

"They wrote to the Council that we should give them a lease for 20 years. So all along, we have been in control of the beach," he added.

Nii Adjei Koofeh IV further disclosed that the Traditional Council currently has records of 85 vendors operating at the beach who pay rent to the Council.

"Per our records, we have 85 vendors who pay rent to us aside the hotel," he said.

"So we think the land is for us," he said.

However, he acknowledged that the question of whether the disputed portions fall within SSNIT's acquisition must be properly determined through the proposed committee.

"But their claim that it falls within the acquisition is a matter for the committee to determine because we made them aware that parts of the land there do not fall within the acquisition," he said.