Police arrest landlady for forcibly ejecting student-tenants

By
Regina Benneh /Sarah Ankamah-Yeboah, GNA 

Sunyani, Oct. 1, GNA – The Police in Sunyani
on Tuesday arrested Madam Jackline Denline, a landlady for forcible ejection of
two female Senior High School Students (SHS) tenants of her house at Nkwabeng,
a suburb of Sunyani.

Mad. Denline locked out the tenants who
are students of the Twene Amanfo Senior High/Technical School (TASTECH) had
rented a room in her house, located within the central business of Sunyani.

The landlady complained of sickness upon her
arrest and was therefore granted bail to report at the Regional Rent Control
Department (RCD) office on Thursday for further investigations.

Mr. Ishmael Kojo Blay Essien, the RCD Manager
for Brong-Ahafo, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday in Sunyani
that, the students had rented the room for a year and the
landlady instructed them to move out because their rent rate was due.

The students, Konadu Yakubu and Augustina
Oduro returned from School on Tuesday and found out that their room had been
locked by the landlady, thus denying them access to the place.

He said the students lodged a complaint at the
RCD office and the matter was consequently reported to the Sunyani Municipal
Police who proceeded to arrest Mad. Denline.

Mr. Essien described the action of the
landlady as illegal since it was only the RCD that had the authority
to eject a tenant after thorough investigations.

He said since Mad. Denline, as a first time
offender, was made to sign a bond of good behaviour and also charged
to ensure the safety of the students  for the next  24
months in accordance with the Rent Act, whilst they continued to live in
that room.

Mr. Essien advised landlords/landladies to
abide by the provisions of the Rent Act or where necessary consult any nearby
office of RCD for advice for peaceful co-existence between them and tenants.

GNA