4 Men complete community service sentence
Four persons who were convicted by the Kumasi District Court Two to a month each in police cells to sweep and cart refuse in Kumasi have completed serving the sentence.
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The Environmental Health and Sanitation Department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) led by its prosecutor, Alhaji Adam Sumaila, prosecuted the four for unlawfully dumping refuse within the area of authority of the KMA.
According to the prosecution, the four - Stephen Ampong, Kanin Mohammed, Kwadwo Asiedu and Ishiaw Abugum - fell foul for dumping solid waste in contravention of Section 56 A and B of Act 851 of the Public Health Act (2012).
Public nuisance
Section 56 of Act 851, which is on “public nuisance” says ( a) “a person who within the area of authority of a district assembly or any other public place or space causes or permits to be placed a carrion, filth, dirt, refuse, or rubbish, or any other offensive or otherwise unwholesome matter, on a street, yard, an enclosure, or open space except at the places set apart by the local authority or the environmental health officer for that purpose, or (b) causes or contributes to the creation of a nuisance in a public place which is part of or which adjoins a dwelling house, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than two hundred and fifty penalty units, or to a term of imprisonment of not more than three years or to both.”
Court
On July 28, 2017 the court, presided over by Mrs Doreen Smith Arthur, sentenced the four to a month in police cells to sweep and cart refuse within the KMA to the final disposal site under the supervision of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department of the KMA.
They were also bonded for a year not to dispose of refuse indiscriminately or in default serve five months imprisonment.
Taskforce and volunteers
In an interview with the Daily Graphic later, the KMA Head of Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, Mr Don Awantungo, said his office had in place a task force and volunteers who were monitoring activities of residents of the metropolis in terms of refuse dumping.
He said though the four convicts had completed serving their sentences, the department would through the same task force and volunteers, monitor them.
He asked residents to desist from dumping refuse around or face the wrath of the law.
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Mr Awantungo, however, urged the general public, particularly assembly and unit committee members, to help in the monitoring exercise in their various electoral areas to bring perpetrators to book.