Five pub operators and a man alleged to have organised a ‘lovers’ party were on Valentine’s eve arrested by the police for breaching COVID-19 protocols.
The arrested persons whose names have been withheld by the police were said to be operating their pubs and spots with large numbers of customers in attendance and were not following the health safety protocols put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
One person whose name was given as Bernard Opare, accused of organising a ‘lovers’ party with attendance of about 100 people at the Awudome SSNIT compound area in Accra, was also apprehended.
According to the police, some of the people upon seeing them absconded, but those who remained were educated on the importance of adhering to the safety protocols and not arrested.
DSP Efia Tenge, the Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, who briefed the media, said the operation was conducted by the Teshie and Kaneshie police respectively.
She said pubs at Teshie visited included “Impress Pub located at Point 5 Cold Store, Korr Bridge Pub near Tebibiano, Stanford Bridge also at Tebibiano, Pablo Pub at Anomantu and Yewo Pub behind Gonnor School.”
She continued that at Korr Bridge Pub, the team met a large number of people making merry and had disregarded the COVID-19 protocols, but upon seeing the police, some of them bolted.
DSP Tenge said the owner of the pub was not at the scene by the time the police visited and the police used the opportunity to educate them on COVID-19 and the need to adhere to the protocols after which the pub was closed down.
She said the other pubs visited that defaulted in the safety protocols were closed down and their owners sent to the police station for further action.
The Accra Regional Police PRO maintained that Kaneshie Police also visited some pubs around 2:56am on Monday.
“While on their way back to the office after their rounds, the team heard a loud sound coming from the SSNIT Compound and when they proceeded to the said location, they met a group of about 100 young people who were partying without observing the COVID-19 protocols at a pub called COVE 117 located near the New Times Corporation,” DSP Tenge disclosed.
She said Mr. Opare, organiser of the party, was apprehended and sent to the Kaneshie Police for further action.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey