Farmer jailed for polluting river with DDT

Mankranso (Ash), April 5, GNA - A magistrate's court at Mankranso has sentenced a 32-year-old farmer to 24 months imprisonment for polluting the Mankran River with DDT insecticide at Egyanso near Mankranso in the Ahafo-Ano South District of Ashanti. Stephen Dogbe pleaded guilty and was convicted on his own plea. Police Inspector Abraham Agyei-Mensah prosecuting told the court presided over by Mr Frank Owusu-Afriyie that Dogbe and the complainants lived in separate cottages near Egyanso where the river serves as their source of drinking water.

He said on March 30, this year, at about 2100 hours, some inhabitants went to fetch water and saw the accused polluting the river with the insecticide, thus killing large quantities of fish. The prosecution said the complainants arrested Dogbe with the dead fish and the rest of the insecticide in a bottle and handed him over to the police.

During interrogation, the accused admitted the offence, the prosecution added.