Court convicts food vendor over medical certificate

A food vendor who failed to obtain an Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Medical Certificate of Fitness before selling “Kelewele” to the public has been convicted to a fine of GH¢ 960 by the Abeka District Court.

Theodora Adu aka Baby Yaa in default would go jail for six months.

The court presided over by Mrs Victoria A. Ghansah ordered her to obtain the medical certificate which was valued GH¢30 by May 10 and produce same in court.

The court also asked her to respect Environmental Health Officers.

Theodora who was charged with failure to obtain AMA medical Certificate of Fitness for herself and another worker and also non-compliance of notice to obtain the certificate, pleaded guilty.

She told the court that she did not know what the medical certificate entails. 

Prosecuting Officer of AMA, Mr Issah Al-Hassan said the Yaa Baby is a kelewele seller at Kwashieman in Accra.    

On October 4, last year, a group of Environmental Health Officers visited the accused person and demanded her medical certificate of fitness but she told the officers to go and that she would report at their office later.

Prosecuting officer said based on that an abatement notice was served on her to obtain one but she refused to collect the notice.

The prosecuting officer said a lady sitting beside her collected the abatement notice and they both insulted the officers as “illiterates”.

According to Mr Al-Hassan a re-inspection was conducted and the accused had still not obtained the medical certificate hence a summons was applied and served on her to appear before the court.       

On April 4, this year, the accused person failed to turn up in court where a bench warrant was issued by the court for her arrest.

Source: GNA