Assemblyman sued for allegedly seizing control of public toilet facility in Kotobabi

A private construction and sanitation management firm, Prince Setraco Ghana Limited, has dragged the Assemblyman for the Kotobabi Electoral Area, Mr. Tommy Thomson, to court for allegedly using force to seize control of a 20-seater modern toilet facility built and operated by the company.

The suit, filed at the Accra District Magistrate Court, accuses the Assemblyman of unlawfully taking over the facility, which the company says it constructed and managed under a valid 15-year lease agreement with the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly.

According to court filings, Prince Setraco Ghana Limited is seeking several reliefs, including a declaration affirming its ownership of the leasehold, an injunction to restrain Mr. Thomson and his agents from further interference, and daily compensation of GH₵2,000 for revenue losses.

In its statement of claim, the company stated that it signed a formal agreement with the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly on May 1, 2023, granting it the right to demolish an old KVIP structure at Kotobabi and replace it with a modern water closet facility. The agreement, which spans 15 years, required the company to invest its own funds in the project while sharing part of the daily proceeds with the Assembly.

The company said it fulfilled all contractual obligations, completed the new facility, and began operations on August 1, 2023. However, on September 19, 2025, the Assemblyman allegedly led a group of “machomen” to forcibly take control of the facility, ejecting the company’s staff and taking over its operations.

Since then, Prince Setraco Ghana Limited claims, the Assemblyman has been collecting all proceeds from the toilet for his personal use, without remitting any revenue to either the company or the Municipal Assembly, in clear violation of the lease agreement.

The company argues that Mr. Thomson’s actions amount to an “unlawful takeover and abuse of office,” which has caused it significant financial loss and reputational damage.

Prince Setraco Ghana Limited is therefore asking the court to declare that it remains the lawful holder of the 15-year leasehold and to compel the immediate return of the facility. It is also demanding GH₵2,000 per day in compensation from September 19, 2025, until the facility is handed back, and a perpetual injunction preventing the defendant or his representatives from interfering with its operations in the future.

Lawyers from Prestige Legal Practitioners, representing the company, confirmed that all necessary legal documents have been filed and served, and that the case will be heard in the coming weeks at the Accra District Magistrate Court.

The outcome of the case is expected to test the enforcement of public-private partnership agreements at the municipal level and highlight the growing tensions between private contractors and local authorities over control of sanitation facilities in urban areas.