The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested Dr. Clemence Gyato in connection with the controversial demolition and reported forceful takeover of the Accra Racecourse at Borteyman.
Dr. Gyato was taken into custody on Thursday, September 10, 2026, as the police deepen their investigations into the demolition and seek to determine who authorised the operation.
He remains in police custody and is assisting with the ongoing investigations. However, no criminal liability has so far been established against him.
His arrest comes amid mounting public concern over the August 22 demolition, which sparked widespread outrage among members of Ghana’s horse racing community and renewed demands for government intervention.
The development follows the interdiction of DSP Alhassan Malaika Jibril by the Ghana Police Service over his alleged role in the operation.
Jibril was accused of providing security during the demolition and leading personnel involved in the exercise at the racecourse. His interdiction was part of the police’s response to the incident.
The Accra Turf Club has said that approximately 200 armed men arrived at the facility on August 22 with an excavator and nine bulldozers.
According to the club, more than 100 horse stables were pulled down, while track railings and other structures at the historic facility were also destroyed.
The demolition has attracted strong criticism from the Accra Turf Club and other stakeholders, who are calling for investigations to establish who authorised the exercise and the circumstances surrounding the reported takeover of the property.
Pressure on the authorities increased on Thursday when members of the horse racing community took to the streets in Accra to demonstrate and present petitions to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Sports and the Presidency.
The demonstrators demanded immediate government action to safeguard the facility and establish how the demolition and reported takeover were carried out.
Investigation is currently underway, as his arrest is expected to support the CID’s efforts to identify the individuals behind the operation, determine the authority under which the demolition was undertaken, and establish the circumstances surrounding the reported takeover of the land.
