The AMA Sanitation Court has convicted ten fishmongers and fined them 50 penalty units each, equivalent to GH¢600, for drying anchovies on the median of a road within the metropolis.
They are Charlotte Amoo, Mercy Tetteh, Regina Tettey, Mary Attah, Patience Vosa, Cecilia Clottey, Comfort Amarteifio, Naomi Quaye, Sophia Quaye and Abigail Ashie.
The offenders were arraigned before the court on 10 February after being arrested by the Assembly’s Environmental Health Officers, led by the Head of the Environmental Health Department, Mad. Florence Kuukyi during an enforcement exercise under the Clean Ghana Campaign.
According to the Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Gilbert Nii Ankrah who disclosed this, nine of the convicted fishmongers complied with the court’s order and paid their fines, while one, Sophia Quaye, failed to pay her fine.
He revealed that seven bench warrants had been issued by the court for the arrest of individuals who failed to appear before the court in relation to the offence.
He explained that on February 4, two persons, Regina and Mary, were arrested during the operation and subsequently appeared before the Sanitation Court on February 5 adding that they pleaded guilty to the offence and informed the court that they were not the only individuals engaged in the act.
He stated that the court directed them to identify others involved, leading to the mention of 15 additional persons, out of which eight appeared before the court.
He said drying anchovies on road medians poses serious public health risks and undermines food safety standards within the metropolis, stressing that fish exposed to vehicle exhaust fumes, dust, and heavy metals from traffic could easily become contaminated, increasing the risk of foodborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, and other gastrointestinal infections.
