Man jailed two years for causing damage to Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange

The Dansoman Circuit Court has handed a two-year prison sentence to 48-year-old head porter, Yaw Asare, for unlawfully damaging parts of the newly constructed Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange. He was convicted after being arrested on June 9, 2025, for destroying parapet beams and accessories on the facility.

In a statement released on Friday, August 22, 2025, the Ministry of Roads and Highways confirmed that Asare was arrested on June 9, 2025, for destroying parapet beams and accessories on the interchange.

The statement, signed by the Head of the Ministry’s Public Relations Unit, Nasir Ahmad Yartey, said Asare was charged and convicted under Section 172 of the Criminal Offences Act (Act 29), which makes “causing unlawful damage” a criminal offence punishable by law.

The Ministry expressed deep concern over the increasing cases of damage to public road infrastructure, describing the trend as alarming. It noted that, in recent times, there has been a surge in acts of vandalism and vehicular crashes that destroy road facilities, particularly traffic lights and other critical installations.

“The Ministry has observed with deep concern the rapid rate at which some members of the public cause unlawful damage to road infrastructure, including vandalism and vehicular crashes, especially those involving traffic lights,” the statement read.

It reminded the public that damaging road infrastructure is an offence and stressed that such actions will not go unpunished.

“The Ministry will continue to work closely with the Ghana Police Service to ensure that anyone found unlawfully damaging public road infrastructure is prosecuted and made to face the full rigours of the law,” the statement added.

The Ministry also urged the public to desist from any acts that destroy or compromise road infrastructure and called on citizens to support efforts to maintain facilities put in place for public benefit.

Yaw Asare is currently serving his two-year sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.