As part of efforts to protect the environment from destruction by human activities, the Fiapre Court, presided by Miss Rita Amoanywaa Edusah in the Bono region, has sentenced four persons to a total fine of GH¢ 7,200.00 or serve 30-days imprisonment each, for contaminating a stream with waste water.
The four; Ama Diana and YaaLamisi, both traders, Bawa Kwabena and Akosua Boahemaa, farmers, are all residents of Fiapre in the Sunyani municipality.
They all pleaded guilty to the charge of “dirty disposal of waste water with offensive odour within their premises,” which is contrary to section 1(A) of the Sunyani West Municipal Assembly by-law 2020.
The Court consequently convicted each of them to pay a fine of 150 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢ 1,800.00 for directing their waste water into a local stream, ‘Atta Dei Kofi’ which is a source of drinking water for the people in the area.
PROSECUTION
The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr. Andrews Salifu Brimah, who prosecuted, later told the Ghana News Agency that six other culprits declined to appear before the Court but he added they would be arrested with a Court warrant to be arraigned later.
Mr.Brimah, who is also the National Public Relations Officer of the Environmental Health Officers Association, emphasised “the Assembly’s Environmental Health Unit is determined to promote good and quality environmental health and sanitation practices to protect the health and safety of residents in the Municipality”.
He noted that, “polluting water bodies and degrading the environment generally is a punishable offence” and, therefore, cautioned the populace to desist from such unpatriotic acts to avoid arrest and prosecution.
Before the verdict, the court explained that the sentences were to serve as a deterrent to others with the intention of channeling their sewages into that particular stream and others in the community.
The post 4 persons fined GH¢ 7,200.00 for contaminating stream appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS