Seven people have been remanded into prison custody by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court after they failed to pay a court-imposed fine for engaging in open defecation in parts of the capital city.
The court convicted the individuals under AMA sanitation by-laws for violating public health regulations. Each offender was fined 50 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢600, but seven of them were unable to settle the penalty. As a result, they were remanded to serve custodial sentences.
The seven remanded are Samuel Aryeequaye, Evans Derry, Kwesi Milla, Richard Quintin Coffie, Seidu Aminu, Awuaaba Michael and Quarcoo Ernest. An eighth person convicted in the same case, Raphael Adjetey, avoided imprisonment by paying the fine.
The offenders were arrested during a night-time enforcement exercise by AMA Environmental Health Officers as part of intensified efforts to address unsanitary practices in communities across Accra, including Bubuashie, Jamestown and Chorkor.
Speaking after the court proceedings, the Head of Public Affairs at the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, said the Assembly has stepped up 24-hour monitoring to ensure compliance with sanitation laws and protect public health. He urged residents to avoid open defecation and use authorised facilities to help keep the city cleaner and healthier.
The remand of the offenders underscores the Assembly’s commitment to enforcing sanitation regulations and reducing public nuisance linked to poor hygiene practices in the metropolis.
