Seven individuals convicted for open defecation and illegal dumping
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court has convicted seven individuals for violating the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and the AMA (Sanitation and Public Health) Bye-laws, 2017, by engaging in open defecation and unauthorized refuse dumping within the metropolis.
The convicts, namely Albert Quaye, Kwame Owusu Ansah, Daniel Nunoo, Razak Siedu, Haruna Abdul Rauf, Desmond Okeyika, and Moro Sebere, were found guilty by Her Lordship Rosemond Vera Aryeetey and ordered to pay a fine of 50 penalty units, equivalent to GH₵600, or serve three months imprisonment.
The prosecutor, Nii Okine Aryee, stated that the convicts were arrested by Public Health Officers of the AMA, led by Madam Florence Kuukyi, during a sanitation enforcement operation on October 7, 2025.
The exercise was aimed at enforcing environmental health regulations to prevent indiscriminate waste disposal and open defecation.
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 wider ‘Clean Accra’ enforcement initiative, targeting individuals and businesses that contravene sanitation regulations.
In 2022, over 470 sanitation offenders were prosecuted across the metropolis for similar infractions.
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 warned residents to strictly adhere to sanitation regulations, cautioning that similar enforcement exercises will continue to ensure the city’s cleanliness and health for all.
