Court bans church from operating due to excessive noise making

The church had claimed it was in the process of securing sound-proof gadgets

The Adjabeng Court '2', presided over by Miss Mariam Sinare, on Wednesday imposed a ban on the Faith Demonstration Ministry International Church at Darkuman for excessive noise making.

The court also found the Head Pastor, Apostle Victor Annan, guilty of failing to produce building permit that allowed him to put up a church in a residential area.

Mr G.H. Quist, Counsel for the church, pleaded with the court to allow his client to operate since he was in the process of acquiring documents as requested by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for noise-proof gadgets.

The prosecutor, Miss Linda Kumbonu of the AMA Public Health Department, told the court that if the accused was in the process of acquiring any relevant documents at all, they should take into accounts the noise they were making which disturbed residents in the area.

She said on July 12, 2010, the court ordered the AMA Public Health Directorate to produce site plan of the area from the Town and Country Planning as evidence that the place was strictly a residential zone and the case was adjourned to September 6.

Miss Kumbonu produced to the court on the next sitting day a zoning plan which indicated that the area was strictly for residential purposes and not for church activities, but unfortunately the accused failed to appear in court and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

The prosecutor said the accused voluntarily appeared in court with his counsel on September 12 who argued that he should be given time to study documents available and the case was adjourned to September 29.

When the case was called today the accused failed again to produce permits that allowed him to operate a church in the area.

Miss Kumbonu told the court that the accused had sited his church at a place not permissible for such activities creating health hazards to residents due to the high noise levels.

She therefore prayed the court to stop the church from operating.