High Court orders police to help Receiver seize Cheddar Hotel

High Court grants police assistance order for Receiver to take possession of Cheddar’s No. 1 Oxford Street Hotel

Warrant issued to enforce security interest

A dispute between Ghanaian businessman Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar, and UK-based Cola Holdings Limited has led to a court order permitting the company to take possession of the No. 1 Oxford Street Hotel in Osu, Accra. The Commercial Division of the High Court in Accra on Tuesday [July 21, 2026] granted a warrant of police assistance to Cola Holdings and its appointed Receiver, Nii Amanor Dodoo. The property is the imposing white building located next to the Dankwa Circle.

The order, made by Justice Samuel Faraday Johnson, followed an application from Cola Holdings after they informed the court they had been unable to obtain possession of the property peacefully. Kensington Residential Partners 1 Limited, a company of which Cheddar serves as a director, opposed the application through one of its directors, Nana Kwame Bediako (alias Cheddar). The court dismissed the grounds advanced in opposition.

According to the ruling, Cola Holdings had registered its security interest over the property at the Collateral Registry and had obtained a Memorandum of No Objection to realise its security. Justice Faraday Johnson held that under the Borrowers and Lenders Act, 2020 (Act 1052), the company was entitled to seek police assistance after it was unable to obtain possession without resistance. The court found that Kensington Residential Partners 1 Limited had not placed sufficient evidence before it to justify refusing the application.

Court records show that Tsatsu Tsikata and Tata Kosi Foliba represented Cola Holdings and the Receiver, while Bobby Banson and Isaac Akerefie-Mensah appeared for the opposing party. The order relates solely to the application for police assistance and does not determine any other issues or claims that may arise between the parties.

Legal dispute continues despite court ruling

The latest ruling forms part of an ongoing legal dispute arising from the enforcement of a security interest over the hotel. Court records indicate that Mr Dodoo was appointed Receiver by Cola Holdings under the Borrowers and Lenders Act after the company took steps to realise its security over the property. The matter follows earlier proceedings connected to the enforcement in Ghana of a judgment of the High Court of England and Wales involving the parties.

In January 2026, Nana Kwame Bediako, commonly known as Cheddar or Freedom Jacob Caesar, publicly stated that he disputed liability under the judgment and had instructed his lawyers to challenge its enforcement through the Ghanaian courts. Mr Bediako, who had contested the 2024 presidential election in Ghana as an independent candidate, said the transaction related to a facility obtained by Kensington Residential Partners 1 Limited from the International Finance Corporation. He also stated that he had appealed a High Court decision relating to the registration of the foreign judgment and intended to pursue all available legal remedies.

For the building’s tenants and nearby businesses, the decision introduces a period of uncertainty regarding their leases and the physical operations of the hotel. While the court has authorized the Receiver to take physical control of the premises, the underlying legal battle over the debt and the validity of the judgment continues. This means the Receiver may face further legal challenges before the property can be fully sold or restructured.