Fact-Check: 6 months jail or GHS20k fine over failure to wear a nose mask

Ghanaians woke up on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 to an information circulating on various social media platforms to the effect that failing to wear a nose mask is a criminal offense which is liable to a jail term of not less than six months or a fine of GHS20,000.

The message which was widely spread on various media platforms reads “It has finally been gazetted. Failure to wear a mask while in a Public place is actually a criminal offence.

Section 6(1)(b) as read with section 11 of the Regulations. If found guilty you can be liable to a fine of 20,000/= or imprisonment for 6 months or both. Failure to wear a mask in a public or private transport and public transport operators Section 5(4) must wear a mask. So don’t say you were not warned. Share widely with friends so that they should not leave the house without a mask. Public place means stepping outside your house. So, take precautions”

Verdict

MyNewsGh.com’s checks from relevant bodies revealed that the information is fake and has been created by some faceless persons just to cause fear and panic.

We reached out to Private Legal Practitioner Samson Lardy Ayenini on whether or not there has been such a law but in response to MyNewsGh.com, he said: "But this write up doesn’t make any law sense. It cannot be a law. Regulations don’t contain sections and which Regulation or sections of which Act are referenced here? Absolutely none! What has been gazetted? Nothing!”