THE ASSEMBLYMAN for Osu Klotey Sub-Metro, Hubert Gurshon is in hot waters following the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest by the Adjabeng High Court in Accra for refusing to appear before the court for charges brought against him by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
Mr. Gurshon failed to appear before the court to defend himself against charges of operating a public toilet which violates Section 34 of Towns Ordinance and also disposing faecal waste from his toilet into the open drain.
The court, presided over by Isaac Addo issued a bench warrant for his arrest after the Prosecutor, Margaret Awuni, said the action brought against the accused was as a result of the fact that, he failed to comply with the standards governing the operations of public toilets.
The Prosecutor also indicated that, in this era of Cholera, it was important for the Assembly to take stringent measures against individuals whose activities in one way or the other contribute to the spread of the pandemic.
She said it would be in the interest of public health to have the accused prosecuted and punished to serve as deterrent to other recalcitrant residents since that will curtail the spread of cholera.
Prosecutor Awuni said, as an Assemblyman, he ought to know better and ensure that he prevent any of the situations he has found himself in.
However, when Hubert Gurshon was contacted, he explained that he had officially written to the AMA to award a contract to a contractor for the demolition of the toilet as far back as 2013, but the AMA had failed to carry out the demolition.
In a related development, the same court has adjourned a similar case brought against Ebenezer Adotey Mingle, a public toilet toll collector and operator in Osu, who is accused of discharging liquid waste into a public drain near the Osu Castle.
According to the Prosecutor, Linda Kumbuno, the accused failed to alert officers of the AMA when the septic tank was full but rather decided to discharge the contents into the drain, causing much discomfort for residents of the area.
According to her, Mr. Mingle was, on the dawn of July 31, 2014, seen emptying the septic tank containing waste into the drain.
But, in an in-camera proceeding, the Court adjourned the case to September 1, 2014, for ruling.
Speaking to the press after the proceedings, Director of Public Health Department of the AMA, Dr Simpson Boateng explained that the issue of cholera has become so dangerous to the extent that many people have lost their lives.
According to him, the operations of the accused had caused the lives of several people because most of the cholera cases reported occurred in the area where the accused is operating.
He expressed the belief that, that was the source and cause of the spread of the disease in the Osu community.
He said the Assembly will leave no stone unturned to make sure it prosecutes people found culpable, stressing that, the Assembly will not compromise its duties and authority when it come issues of sanitation and good health.
But the accused refuted all the charges brought against him and said his public toilet was the neatest of all the toilets in Osu.
According to him, the charges brought against him were untrue but attempts to dent his image and destroy his business.
He expressed the hope that on September 1, 2014, the court will rule in his favour after all the necessary reports are handed over from the inspections that will be conducted on his facility.
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