The Managing Director of Integral Associates Limited, an Estate Development Agency, is facing three charges before the Adentan District Court 1 for allegedly supplying unwholesome water to his tenants.
Kwabena Atakorah, together with his foreman in charge of Integral Homes at Abokobi in the GA East Municipality, Kwabena Asuning, have been charged with non-compliance with notice contrary to Section 153 of Land Used and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925); operating a mechanized borehole water system without undergoing adequate treatment contrary to Section 54(b)(c)(d) of Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851); and constructing a mechanized borehole water system without authority or permit contrary to Section 94 of Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
According to the facts of the case as presented by the prosecutor, Charles Tsatsu, the residents of the Abokobi-based estate, Integral Homes, on December 24, 2020, reported various skin rashes and other facial conditions attributed to the use of water from the mechanized borehole water system provided by Kwabena Atakora.
Subsequent investigations into the complaints and inspection at the site revealed that the water supplied to the estate had not been treated, the water system project had been undertaken without authority or permit, and there was no environment assessment report to justify the operation of the water system.
The prosecutor also said a physio-chemical analysis by CSIR showed that the iron and chloride values of the water exceeded the WHO baseline values.
The accused persons were said to have failed to comply with a notice to stop distributing the unwholesome water for domestic use and were discovered only upon re-inspection of the site on February 5, 2021.
The Managing Director and his Foreman were subsequently charged with the three offences.
Kwabena Atakora and Kwabena Asuning were however admitted to bail at GHS 10,000 each with 2 sureties.