Ghanaians who fail to wear face mask can be jailed for 10 years

People who do not wear face masks in public could be sentenced to from 4 to 10 years in jail or pay a fine of GHC12,000 to GHC60,000.

This was contained in a new Executive Instrument (E.I 164) signed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on June 15, 2020, as part of measures to control the spread of COVID -19 in the country.

Per E.I. 164, which was gazetted on Monday, June 15, which Graphic Online has seen, the mandatory wearing of face masks shall be in force for three months and shall apply to all parts of Ghana.

The E.I. was issued by the President pursuant to the powers granted him under the Imposition of Restrictions Act, 2020 (Act 1012).

Per the new E.I. it is 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.”

Section 4 (1) of the E.I. 164 states that the police has the authority to embark on random checks to “ensure enforcement compliance”

Any person who fails to wear the nose masks in public 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 unit (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.”