Businesswoman sues interior decorator, police commissioner over alleged shop furnishing dispute

A businesswoman has filed a suit at the Commercial Division of the High Court in Accra against an interior decorator and a senior Ghana Police Service officer, seeking multiple declarations, damages and the recovery of money and property over an alleged breach of contract involving the furnishing of her shop. The plaintiff, Regina Akweley Oru, commenced the action against Mary Tsoene Nyatuame, an interior decorator, and Commissioner of Police Joseph Oklu Gyamera, who is identified in the court filings as the Director-General of Legal and Prosecutions of the Ghana Police Service. According to the statement of claim, Ms Oru contends that she engaged the first defendant in December 2025 to design and execute the interior decoration of her shop at Nanakrom in Accra.

She alleges that the parties agreed that a 3D design prepared by the decorator would serve as the standard and specification for the works after she paid separately for the design and approved it. The suit further alleges that the second defendant, Commissioner Gyamera, “induced and procured” the alleged breaches by the first defendant through an abuse of his public office, and therefore bears joint and several liability with the interior decorator. The plaintiff states that the police officer is being sued in his personal capacity for conduct she alleges fell outside the lawful scope of his official duties.

In the writ, the plaintiff is asking the court to declare that the first defendant breached both the original agreement for the interior decoration works and a subsequent novated agreement allegedly reached at the East Legon Hills Police Station. She also seeks a declaration that the continued occupation of her shop premises at Nanakrom is wrongful and amounts to trespass. Among the reliefs sought, Ms Oru is requesting an order requiring the defendants to account for all monies received from her and how those funds were utilised.

She is also seeking the recovery of GH¢98,000, less the proven value of any work properly executed, or such amount as the court determines remains unspent or improperly expended following an accounting. The plaintiff is further asking the court to award GH¢12,500 as the replacement value of CCTV cameras and a digital video recorder she claims were affected, and to order the immediate return of vacant possession of the Nanakrom shop together with its keys and all items a…