The Central Regional Police Command has arrested 131 persons for failing to wear face masks.
Speaking at the launch of a disinfection exercise by Zoomlion in basic and senior high schools on Friday, June 19, 2020 the Central Regional Police Commander, COP Paul Manly Awini said the arrested persons will be processed for court, while officers engage stakeholders to ensure all directives are adhered to.
“We are very much aware that our role is a humanitarian one in support of the lead agency which is the Ghana Health Service. And so from day one when these protocols were issued by his Excellency, I must say that some people have fallen foul of the law as far as observing some of these protocols were concerned. Today, we have arrested 131 persons who breached these protocols, and they are all being processed for court”, he said.
New Executive Instrument (E.I. 164)
A new Executive Instrument (E.I. 164) signed by President Akufo-Addo on June 15, 2020, as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease provides that people who fail to wear face masks in public would be committing an offence that carries a prison sentence of four to 10 years or a fine of GH¢12,000 to GH¢60,000, or both.
The new E.I. makes it mandatory for people to “wear face masks, face shields or any other face covering that covers his or her nose and mouth completely when the person is in public or leaving or returning to his place of abode.”
Paragraph 4 (1) of the E.I. 164 states that the police have the authority to make random checks to “ensure enforcement compliance.”
According to paragraph 4(2) of E.I. 164, any person who fails to comply with the mandatory wearing of face masks shall be punished in accordance with Section 6 of Act 1012.
Per Section 6 of Act 1012, “a person who fails to comply with the restrictions imposed under the Executive Instrument issued under subsection 1 of Section 2, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty units (Gh¢12,000) and not more than 5,000 penalty units (Gh¢60,000) or to a term of imprisonment not less than four years and not more than 10 years or to both.”
Source: Daily Graphic
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It is ridiculous to arrest people for not wearing face mask. This face mask often get torn, so in an even my face mask is torn and I can't wear it, should I be arrested? What could I do when my masks is torn except to go home and get a new one or betterstill walk to the market to buy another. This administration is certainly a dictatorship regime. Politicians are stealing billions of Ghana cedis, you dont arrest them, but stoupid laws are put in place to jail innocent Ghanaians for failing to wear masks you are not providing them with. What sort of non sense is that? The proper and sensible thing to do is to fine people and give them a week or two to pay, but to arrest them is ediocy. This COVID 19 was brought by this same politicans now arresting innocent Ghanaians. Most Ghanaians have not traveled outside their cities, let alone bring COVID 19, yet they are the ones being arrested for not wearing masks. Use the money you are wasting on political campaigns to buy free masks for Ghanaians then you will have the moral right to reprimand people.