Owner of collapsed building, 4 others arrested
Five persons have been arrested in connection with the storey building which collapsed at Nii Boi Town in Accra last Thursday.
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They include the owner of the building, Mr S.K. Omari; the contractor, Mr Moses Abbey; the Head of Building Inspectorate at the Okaikoi North Sub Metro, Mr George Benefo; and his two assistants, Messrs Frank Lartey and George Agyari.
They were arrested after the Accra Metropolitan Assembly had conducted preliminary investigations into the incident.
AMA takes action
A statement signed by the AMA Chief Executive, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye, said investigations indicated that the three building inspectors at the Okaikoi North Sub-Metro were liable to acts of negligence by not following the proper procedure in their monitoring activities.
It said the three workers at the sub-metro had also been interdicted for six months without pay.
Furthermore, it said the owner of the building, Mr Omari, was also invited to the AMA after which it was revealed that he did not have title to the land.
The statement further indicated that Mr Omari was found liable for not obtaining development and building permits and also failed to stop construction works when he was served with three “stop work” notices by the AMA.
“The AMA has also ordered that the Grand View Hotel that is on the same compound where the seven-storey building collapsed should be evacuated and shut down with immediate effect,” it stated.
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“It was as a result of these findings that the AMA handed over the five suspects to the police for further investigations,” it added.
Displaced persons
Meanwhile about 18 people have been displaced as a result of the incident.
Some of the nearby houses were affected while other residents had their gadgets destroyed due to the vibration and waves resulting from the collapse.
To ensure safety, others were evacuated from their houses by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) until the clearing of the rubble was over.
To relieve the victims of hardship, NADMO has given items, including mattresses, rice and cooking oil to the affected households.
Most of the victims had the choice to perch with their neighbours while others were offered temporary residence at a NADMO house.
But some of the victims said they did not have a place to sleep, while others who preferred to lodge in the hotels have asked the authorities to provide them with alternative shelter because the hotel expenses were draining their pockets.