The Hohoe Magistrate Court has fined a 31-year-old pub owner, Christabel Afornorfe, GH¢600 for selling expired drinks and operating her business under insanitary conditions.
Afornorfe, the owner of Christabel Pub and Bar Ltd, pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted on her own plea.
The court, presided over by relieving judge Lambert Y. Keriba, ordered her to pay the fine or serve one month in prison if she failed to pay.
Her 19-year-old shop attendant, Theodora Kornu, who also pleaded guilty, was ordered to sign a three-year bond to be of good behaviour.
Prosecuting Officer and Environmental Health Analyst, Daniel Dotse Eklo, told the court that the offences were uncovered during a routine inspection conducted by sanitary inspectors on July 14.
He said the inspection revealed that the accused persons were selling expired drinks, dumping refuse behind the business premises and selling food under unhygienic conditions.
They were also found to be operating the pub and bar without the required medical certificates of fitness.
According to the prosecution, the two were educated on the breaches and served with abatement notices directing them to rectify the sanitary violations and report to the Environmental Health Office for medical screening.
However, a follow-up inspection conducted on July 22 showed that they had failed to comply with the directives.
The expired drinks were subsequently confiscated and kept as evidence.
Mr Eklo cautioned that the practices uncovered at the premises posed a serious public health risk and could expose unsuspecting consumers to food poisoning and foodborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and Hepatitis A.
Source: GNA
