Bar Operator Fined For Noise Making

Stephen Gbedemah, manager in charge of Lover’s Inn Spot at Darkumah has been fined by the Darkumah Motor and Sanitation Court an amount of Gh¢600 for making excessive noise in the area.

The accused has also been given an ultimatum to relocate his bar or be forced to vacate the area.

In default in the payment of the fine, Stephen Gbedemah would serve three months sentence in prison.

His Lordship Emmanuel Nana Antwi-Barimah, the trial judge who found accused guilty on his own plea, fined him 50-penalty unit on each count.

Briefing the court, Madam Linda Kumbuno, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said following a complaint lodged at the Motor Public Health Department by some neighbours that the accused has been making excessive noise during the day and at night, a noise nuisance control team was sent to conduct inspection on his premises.

The team detected that the accused operated a drinking bar with loud musical instruments disturbing people in the area with excessive noise.

The team measured the noise level from two distances with a dosimeter and recorded 80.6decibels.

The acceptance level enshrined in the Environmental Protection Agency for a residential area is 55decibels at day and 48decibels at night, but according to the prosecutor, the accused had exceeded the limit.

The accused, also operating the bar without an Accra Metropolitan Assembly certificate, was warned to comply with the order or be prosecuted, but he failed to comply.

Following persistent calls by neighbours about his continuous excessive noise in the area, the team followed up on October 24, 2012, and when the noise level was taken, the measurement was 86.5decibels.

Based on the measurement, the accused was fined and asked to relocate the bar.