Accra, March 23, GNA - The Adjabeng Magistrate Court 'B', presided over by Mrs Mariam Sinare on Thursday fined five persons GH¢120.00 each or in defau= lt two weeks imprisonment in hard labour for openly defecating into the Odaw River.

The convicts who were charged on their own plea were Kwame Opoku, Prosper Owusu and Kwabena Michael.

Kwabena Aryee and Charles Nwaogu, a Nigerian, who could not pay their fines were sent to Nsawam Prisons to serve their sentences.

Three accused persons who were also arrested during the operation pleaded not guilty and were asked to reappear in court on March 31 for hearing.

They are Paa Kwesi, Sam Emmanuel and Emmanuel Yeboah, while a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Isaac Kwadjo Boateng, who was among those arrested but escaped from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly's (AMA) Special Taskforce.

Prosecuting, Mr Samuel Norgbey of the AMA Health Department told the= court that the accused persons were arrested at 0500 hours on March 18, by the taskforce at Odaw Naa defecating into the river, thereby posing health hazard to the community. He said upon seeing the taskforce they took to their heels but they were chased and

some of them were apprehended and charged with the offence.