An Accra court has granted former Ghanaian footballer Odartey Lamptey access to his East Legon mansion, after a lengthy court battle that took place over the span of several years and put their private affairs in the public eye.
Following their divorce in 2013, the footballer has been living in a rented apartment with his new wife and kids. His ex-wife had sued for ownership of the East legon building. He gave up his five-bedroom property in Dome as well as 400,000 cedis in alimony to his ex-wife, but Ms Gloria insisted on having the East Legon property as well, which cost millions of cedis.
After 20 years of marriage, they divorced in 2013 after DNA tests revealed that Lamptey was not the biological father of their three children. Speaking on Peace FM, Odartey Lamptey said his lawyer told him he can now have access to the house after court on March 2, 2022, ruled in his favour, and gave his ex-wife, Gloria Appiah, one month to vacate the property in East Legon, Accra.
I got a call from my lawyer with about two hours to Ghana’s game against Nigeria and he said the one month is given to her(ex-wife) is up after the ruling on March 2. So, I can go for my keys. I was extremely happy because after nine years of battle in court I have gotten the house. So quickly I organized the to boys go there. But for myself, I will move in this week.
In another interview with Angel FM, he revealed that he bought the house for $100,000 dollars in 1998-1999.
Lamptey, who retired from football in 2008, now breeds cattle and sheep on a farm on the outskirts of Accra. He also founded Glow-lamp International School , so as to give back to society and ensure than children have the chance to learn to read and write: something he was never able to do. As of 2017, his school has almost 400 pupils. He also has a football academy he coaches at in Elmina.
Lamptey has said that despite all his struggles, he does not feel like a loser, but rather as a hardened survivor who refuses to be destroyed, and whom God will not punish.