A joint task force comprising personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, and the National Security Secretariat on Friday stormed the controversial China Mall construction site in Koforidua, arresting six workers and declaring the area a no-go zone.
Several other workers reportedly fled into nearby bushes, while some of the developers locked themselves inside a building during the operation.
The raid followed the developers' alleged disregard for a formal stop-work order issued by the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) over concerns that the project was contributing to severe flooding in surrounding communities.
The project site, located near the old Kenkey Factory in the New Juaben South Municipality, has drawn complaints from residents and road users, who claim the building sits within a riparian zone and has blocked a natural drainage channel, thereby worsening local flooding.
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The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Awatey, had earlier visited the site in May, this year, following numerous complaints and ordered the developers to halt construction and fix the local storm drains before resuming work.
Although the developers initially complied with the directive, they allegedly defied the order and resumed construction, prompting the security operation.
A source close to the developers told The Ghanaian Times that the project was bound by contractual deadlines and that delays would attract financial penalties.
The source explained that construction materials already delivered to the site were deteriorating due to prolonged exposure to the weather.
The investors further indicated that workers, including expatriate staff, continued to receive wages despite the suspension of construction activities, resulting in additional operational costs.
They, therefore, pleaded to be allowed to continue construction while simultaneously addressing the drainage issues.
Speaking to the media, the Eastern Regional National Security Liaison Officer, Francis Annor-Dompreh, indicated that the developers had ignored directives to complete reconstruction works on the drainage systems in the area before resuming the project.
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He announced that the area had been declared a no-go zone and warned that anyone found loitering on the premises would be arrested.
He further stated that construction activities would remain suspended until the developers resolved the environmental and drainage concerns in consultation with the local authorities.
Mr Annor-Dompreh warned that the developers' actions posed a threat to public safety and national security, stressing that his outfit would not tolerate any further actions.
