Police arrest Clemence Gyato over Accra Race Course demolition at Borteyman

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has arrested Dr Clemence Gyato over the controversial demolition and reported forceful takeover of the Accra Race Course at Borteyman.

Dr Gyato was arrested on Thursday, September 10, 2026, as police intensify investigations into the demolition of the facility and seek to establish who authorised the operation.

He is currently in police custody, assisting investigators. No criminal liability has been established against him.

The arrest follows growing public pressure over the August 22 demolition, which triggered outrage within Ghana's horse racing community and renewed calls for state intervention.

The development also comes after the Ghana Police Service interdicted DSP Alhassan Malaika Jibril over his alleged involvement in the operation.

Jibril was accused of providing security for, and leading personnel involved in, the demolition exercise at the racecourse. His interdiction formed part of the police response to the incident.

According to accounts from the Accra Turf Club, about 200 armed men arrived at the facility on August 22 with an excavator and nine bulldozers.

More than 100 horse stables were reportedly demolished, while track railings and other infrastructure at the historic venue were also destroyed.

The incident has sparked strong condemnation from the Accra Turf Club and other stakeholders, who have demanded investigations into the authority behind the demolition and reported takeover of the property.

The pressure intensified on Thursday when members of the horse racing community staged demonstrations in Accra and petitioned the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Sports and the Presidency.

The protesters called for urgent government action to protect the facility and determine how the demolition and reported takeover were carried out.

Gyato's arrest is expected to form part of the CID's efforts to identify those behind the operation, establish the authority under which it was conducted, and determine the circumstances surrounding the reported takeover of the land.

The investigation is ongoing.
-citinewsroom