The Abeka Sanitation and Motor Magistrate Court of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has fined five persons GHS 360.00 each for indiscriminately dumping refuse at unauthorized places.

The five are said to have dumped refuse around Tema Station in Accra and its environs.

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

One other person, Victoria Mensah, who was also arrested has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

 On November 22, the accused persons were caught red-handed at different times dumping refuse at Tema Station and were arrested by the Osu Klottey Sub-Metro Sanitation Taskforce during a special operation that night.

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

 Although The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has outsourced management of refuse to private Waste management companies, it has become increasingly difficult to manage waste in the metropolis because people dump refuse at unauthorized places.

Caution from the AMA for people to desist from this act has fallen on deaf ears, especially those around the Tema Station enclave.

This necessitated the establishment of the task force which only operates at night, Mr Yingura said.

 The Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Ghansah slapped a GHC 360 fine on the five accused persons who pleaded guilty. They risk ten weeks imprisonment in default. 

Meanwhile, Victoria Mensah, who pleaded not guilty to the offence was admitted to bail with a sum of GHC 1000 each. She is to reappear in court on December 7, 2017. 

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

The Assembly has in the past months rolled out strategies and initiatives to fulfil the President’s desire of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa. 

These include, waste segregation program for basic schools, the use of Special Sanitation Committee tasked with the responsibility of managing waste concerns in business enclaves, which was first piloted in the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Enclave, the rigorous enforcement of its sanitation byelaws, among others.