Court fines three for dumping refuse at unauthorised location

The Magistrate at the Abeka District of the Sanitation and Motor Court, Her Ladyship Victoria Quansah, has fined three men GHC360 each for disposing of refuse at an unauthorised area in Odorkor and Busia Junction in the Ablekuma North Sub-Metro of the Accra Metropolis.

The prosecutor, Issah Al-Hassan, said the offenders, Seth Ashitey, Mchael Quaye and Charles Oppong, who are 56, 36 and 25 respectively, were caught by the taskforce of the Ablekuma North Sub-Metro when they were disposing of the refuse.

With reference to the Public Health Act (2012), Act 851, Madam Quansah fined each of them 30 penalty units which in default will attract three months imprisonment with hard labour.

She said their punishment should deter others from doing same. She again charged them to be good ambassadors of sanitation in their various communities.

Mr Issah Al-Hassan indicated that the charge for improper disposal of refuse calls for a maximum penalty unit fine of GHC 3000 or three years imprisonment or both therefore, the general public especially residents within the Accra Metropolis, are being advised to register with the accredited A.M.A service providers for their refuse collection.

He stressed that A.M.A has begun prosecuting nonregistered members of the public who use unapproved methods of refuse disposal and promised to continue with the prosecutions until every home is registered with the service providers.