Hohoe Court Fines Pub Owner for Selling Expired Drinks
The Hohoe Magistrate Court has convicted a 31-year-old pub owner and her 19-year-old shop attendant for selling expired drinks and operating under insanitary conditions.
Christabel Afornorfe, owner of Christabel Pub and Bar Ltd, and her employee, Theodora Kornu, pleaded guilty to the charges and were convicted on their own pleas.
The court, presided over by relieving judge Lambert Y. Keriba, fined Afornorfe GH¢600. She will serve one month in prison if she fails to pay the fine.
The prosecution told the court that sanitary inspectors conducted a routine inspection at the pub on July 14, 2026, and discovered expired drinks being sold to customers.
Inspectors also found refuse dumped behind the premises and observed that food was being prepared and sold under insanitary conditions.
The court further heard that the business was operating without the required medical certificates of fitness for its workers.
Environmental Health Analyst, Daniel Dotse Eklo, said the two were educated on the sanitary breaches and served with abatement notices directing them to correct the violations. They were also instructed to report to the Environmental Health Office for medical screening.
However, during a follow-up inspection on July 22, the directives had not been complied with. The expired drinks were subsequently confiscated and retained as evidence.
Mr Eklo told the court that the practices posed a serious public health risk, particularly to unsuspecting customers who could consume expired products or food prepared under unhygienic conditions.
He warned that such practices could contribute to food poisoning and outbreaks of foodborne diseases, including cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and Hepatitis A.
The case underscores the need for food and beverage operators to maintain proper hygiene standards, dispose of waste appropriately and ensure that all products offered for sale are safe for public consumption.
