Sanitation Court fines Abiba, Kwaku Asare

Abiba and Kwaku Asare, both in their mid-30s, were handed over to Ridge Police Station personnel, where their statements were taken.

Is allowance instantly strangers applauded

A Kumasi Magistrate Court (Sanitation), presided over by His Worship Fred Obikyere, last Friday, fined Abiba and Kwaku Asare 140 penalty units, amounting to GH¢1,680.00, each.

In default, the duo would each serve a 12 month prison sentence.

The court also ordered them to pay GH¢1,000 each to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), being the cost for the destruction of seized unwholesome chicken.

The verdict came about when the suspects changed their plea of not guilty to guilty to the charges preferred against them.

They were facing three counts of offering, exposing, and having in possession food for sale unfit for human and animal consumption, depositing at public place for the purpose of consignment food unfit for human and animal consumption, and failure to furnish the medical officer of health of the KMA with medical report.

The Prosecutor, Enoch Nkansah, of the Environmental Health Unit of the KMA, charged them with three counts contrary to Section 33:(1A) and Section 53; (1B)  of the Public Health Act 851 of 2012, and Section 3 section 5(2) of KMA Hotel, restaurant and eating joints or chop bar bye-laws 2020.

It would be recalled that on September 3, 2021, the vigilance of then Constable Abena Adutwumawaa, while on duty at the Adankwame Station in Kumasi, near the Kejetia Lorry Terminal, noticed a foul odour in the area.

She traced the stench to one Abiba, who was unloading cartons of frozen chicken from a Pragya.

A close examination of the chicken, which had changed colour to green, revealed that they were almost rotten and spirogyra infested.

Upon interrogation, Abiba indicated that she had purchased the consignment of 15 cartons of the chicken from a cold store at Asafo at a reduced price of GH¢60.00, instead of GH¢150.00 per carton, upon which she was handed over to officials of the Environmental Health Unit of the KMA.

Upon further interrogation, the KMA officials were led to an unnamed store at Asafo market, where Kwaku Asare was identified as the source of the unwholesome chicken.

Abiba and Kwaku Asare, both in their mid-30s, were handed over to Ridge Police Station personnel, where their statements were taken.