Arrest warrant issued against trader for insanitary offence

The Tema District Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Patience Atikpo, a trader, for indiscriminate dumping and burning of refuse at her trading premises.

The court presided over by Mr Festus Fovi Nukunu issued the warrant after Atikpo failed to appear before the court on April 21, 2022.

She has been accused of indiscriminate dumping and burning of refuse, creating an insanitary drain, and non-compliance with a statutory notice. 

Prosecution, led by Issah Ali-Hassan, said that Atikpo operates a grocery store in Tema Community 18-Cambodia in the Tema West Municipal Assembly.

The court heard that on February 16, this year, a team of Environmental Health Officers carried out an inspection at accused’s trade premises.

The prosecution said the team detected that Atikpo dumped and burnt refuse at her trade premises indiscriminately generating smoke which was nuisance to residents.

Al-Hassan said accused also allowed the drainage in front of her trade premises was stagnant with filth, which  become breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The prosecution said the Environmental Health Officers drew her attention to the nuisances and she admitted the offence.

The court heard that a statutory notice was issued and served on accused to stop burning refuse at the premises and to remove the filth from the drain, but she failed to comply by the order. -GNA