High Court Grants Police Order to Take Over Cheddar’s No. 1 Oxford Street Hotel

The High Court in Accra has granted an order allowing the Ghana Police Service to assist a Receiver in taking possession of the No. 1 Oxford Street Hotel, a luxury hotel in Osu linked to businessman and politician Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar.

The order was granted by the Commercial Division of the High Court after the Receiver, Nii Amanor Dodoo, told the court that efforts to take control of the hotel peacefully had not been successful.

The Receiver was appointed by Cola Holdings Limited, a UK-based company, which is seeking to recover a debt of more than US$14.9 million. The company is enforcing its security rights over the hotel after obtaining a judgment that was registered for enforcement in Ghana.

The court ruled that Cola Holdings had followed the required legal procedures, including registering its security interest over the property and obtaining the necessary approval to enforce the security under Ghana’s Borrowers and Lenders Act, 2020 (Act 1052).

The hotel is owned through Kensington Residential Partners 1 Limited, a company associated with Nana Kwame Bediako. The company opposed the takeover request, but the court dismissed the objections and allowed the Receiver to proceed with police assistance.

The police support means officers can provide security and help the Receiver gain access to the hotel without resistance. It does not mean that Cheddar has been convicted of any crime.

Nana Kwame Bediako has previously denied being personally responsible for the debt and maintained that the matter remains part of ongoing legal proceedings.

The court’s decision only allows the Receiver to take possession of the hotel. Other legal issues, including appeals and related claims between the parties, are still before the courts.