Court grants pastor GH¢5,000 bail for noise nuisance

Accra, Sept 2, GNA - The Adjabeng Court 912' in Accra, on Thursday granted a GH¢5,000 bail with one surety to Pastor Richard Newman of the Ebenezer Miracle Worship Centre at East Airport Residential Area, for excessive noise making by the church members.

He pleaded not guilty and the court granted him bail to reappear ay court on September 30, 2010 and his counsel, Mr Samuel Wood pleaded for time to study documents tended to the court.

Miss Linda Kumbonu of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Public Health Department, told the court presided over by Mrs Mary Addington that the accused is a resident pastor in-charge of the church located at Flower Pot, a suburb of Accra on the Spintex Road.

The prosecution said on February 22, 2010 following a complaint by the residents of Flower Pot to the Mayor of Accra, Mr Alfred Vanderpuige a team of officers were dispatched to the church to investigate the noise nuisance.

Miss Kumbonu told the court that when the team reached the church premises the accused and his church members were worshipping.

They were asked to stop conducting their religious activities and produce relevant documents, permitting them to operate as a church in a residential area but they did not obey the orders.

Miss Kumbonu said that on July 13 this year, an investigative team was despatched with a digital sound level metre to the church premises in the night and measured their noise level, which was as high as 88.5 decibels.

Permissible noise level in a residential area enshrined in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines is 48 decibels.

Miss Kumbuno said apart from the stress and loss of concentration that the church's activities created, it would also affect the academic performance of students living in the area.

She said the church owner has no AMA and EPA operating permits to operate in a residential area and in the circumstances summons was served on the accused person to appear in court.