By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court has convicted seven persons for engaging in open defecation and dumping refuse at unauthorised locations within the metropolis. An act that violates the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and the AMA (Sanitation and Public Health) Bye-laws, 2017.
Those convicted include Albert Quaye, Kwame Owusu Ansah, Daniel Nunoo, Razak Siedu, Haruna Abdul Rauf, Desmond Okeyika, and Moro Sebere.
The court, presided over by Her Lordship Rosemond Vera Aryeetey, found each of the offenders guilty and imposed a fine of 50 penalty units, equivalent to GH₵600. In default, they will serve three months imprisonment.
According to the prosecutor, Nii Okine Aryee, the convicts were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA, led by Madam Florence Kuukyi, during a special sanitation enforcement operation on October 7, 2025.
The exercise was part of the Assembly’s continuous enforcement of environmental health regulations aimed at curbing indiscriminate disposal of waste and open defecation, practices known to contribute to cholera, typhoid, and other communicable diseases.
Under Section 56 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), individuals who pollute the environment or endanger public health through unsanitary practices commit an offence and are liable to fines or imprisonment.
The AMA Sanitation and Public Health Bye-laws, 2017, also prohibit:
Defecating in open spaces, drains, beaches, or public areas not designated for such purposes;
Dumping refuse at unapproved sites or along streets; and
Failing to register for waste collection or maintain hygienic premises.
Violations attract penalties ranging from 25 to 100 penalty units or imprisonment of up to six months.
The convictions form part of the Assembly’s larger “Clean Accra” enforcement drive, which targets individuals and businesses that flout sanitation regulations.
Records show that in 2022 alone, over 470 sanitation offenders were prosecuted for similar offences across the metropolis.
The operation forms part of the Assembly’s ongoing efforts to enforce public health by-laws and maintain environmental cleanliness across Accra.
The AMA has cautioned residents to adhere strictly to sanitation regulations, warning that similar enforcement exercises will continue to ensure the city remains clean and healthy for all.
