Christabel Afornorfe, owner of Christabel Pub and Bar Ltd in Hohoe, was fined GH¢600 by the Hohoe Magistrate Court on Thursday for selling expired drinks and running the establishment under insanitary conditions. The 31‑year‑old pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted on her own plea. Judge Lambert Y. Keriba, who presided over the case, gave Afornorfe the choice of paying the fine or serving one month in prison if she defaults.
Her 19‑year‑old shop attendant, Theodora Kornu, who also pleaded guilty, was ordered to sign a three‑year bond to remain of good behaviour. Prosecuting Officer and Environmental Health Analyst Daniel Dotse Eklo told the court that sanitary inspectors first discovered the offences during a routine inspection on 14 July. The inspectors found expired drinks being sold, refuse dumped behind the premises, and food being sold under insanitary conditions. Both Afornorfe and Kornu were also found operating without the required medical certificates of fitness.
After the initial inspection, the court served the owners with abatement notices, directing them to address the sanitary concerns and report to the Environmental Health Office for medical screening. A follow‑up inspection on 22 July, however, revealed that the directives had not been complied with. The expired drinks were confiscated and retained as evidence. Eklo warned that such practices posed a serious threat to public health, potentially exposing customers to food poisoning and diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and Hepatitis A.
Both parties were educated on the breaches and the court’s decision. Afornorfe now faces a choice: pay the fine or serve a month in jail. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining sanitary standards in food and beverage establishments.
