Three persons fined GHC1,080 for illegal dumping of refuse

The Abeka Sanitation and Motor Magistrates Court of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly ( AMA) has fined three out of five accused persons, a sum of GSHS360 each for dumping refuse at unauthorized places at Tema Station and its environs in Accra on Friday.

The accused persons are: Adjoa Adam, 35; Lydia Mensah, 30; Tackie Tewiah, 41; Elizabeth Nsobila, 18; and 38-year-old Kwesi Aryeh.

However, two of the accused, Tackie Tewiah and Victoria Mensah, pleaded not guilty to their offences and were granted a GHS1000 bail each. They are to reappear in court on 7 December 2017.

On 22 November, the accused persons were caught on the spot dumping refuse within the Tema Station enclave. They were arrested by the Osu Klottey sub-Metro Sanitation Taskforce which was on a special operation that night.

According to the Metro Director, Matts Yingura, "The Osu Klottey sub-Metro has been facing a huge challenge from unscrupulous persons who always empty their garbage on the streets, especially at the Tema Station enclave".

According to the AMA, the taskforce has become necessary due to the increase in indiscriminately dumping of refuse in the area.

Magistrate Mrs Victoria Ghansah fined the three accused persons who pleaded guilty to a fine of GHS360 each or 10 weeks in prison in default.

The AMA has cautioned persons within its jurisdiction to uphold good sanitation practices or face prosecution.

The AMA says it has in the past months, rolled out strategies and initiatives to fulfil the President’s quest to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

These include: “Waste segregation programme for basic schools, the use of a special sanitation committee tasked with the responsibility of managing waste concerns in business enclaves, which was first piloted in the Abossey Okai Spare Parts area, the rigorous enforcement of sanitation by-laws (saman saman), among others.”