The Abeka Sanitation and Motor Magistrate Court on Monday fined 19 people GH¢720 or in default 6 months imprisonment each for dumping refuse at unauthorized places contrary to section 56(a) and (b) of Act 851, of the Public Health Act (2012).

All the accused persons were residents of Lapaz and its environs within the Okaikoi North Sub –metro of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

All, except two of the offenders; one with a language deficiency and the other who pleaded not guilty were put in police custody and are to reappear on 24th July, 2017.

The Magistrate Mrs Victoria Ghansah also cautioned that, persons who flout sanitation laws would be given severe sanctions to serve as a deterrent to others. The Magistrate advised the offenders to go and be ambassadors of a clean environment.

She emphasized that, until one finds a dustbin, there is the need to keep any refuse generated and dispose it off at an approved location. She urged AMA to get residents who have not yet registered under the polluter-pay policy to do so.

Briefing the media, the sub-metro Director for Okaikoi North sub-metro, Angel Ketadjo said for some time now some unscrupulous persons have been dumping refuse on the streets of Lapaz along the N1 highway in the night making the road unsightly.

Due to this, the sub-metro formed a taskforce including the police to curb the menace and the offenders were caught dumping the rubbish at Lapaz main road and others were also caught at the Lapaz market.

All the 21 offenders were sent to the Tesano police station and later sent to the Abeka Magistrate Motor and Sanitation Court of the AMA. On the day of the operation, he said they divided the task force into 3 groups. The offenders were arrested at locations within Lapaz and its immediate environs between the hours of 12 midnight and 6am on Monday by the task force.

Mr. Ketadjo said, the exercise which will continue for the next 3 months is to curb illegal disposal of waste in the sub-metro and also ensure that the needed attitudinal change is realized.

Areas the task force will focus on are the ceremonial roads in Achimota, Tesano, Abeka and its immediate environs.