BY Grace Zigah
The Dansoman Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced 48-year-old head porter, Yaw Asare, to two years imprisonment for unlawfully damaging parts of the newly completed Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange, a critical road project commissioned to ease traffic congestion in the capital.
Yaw Asare was convicted on charges of “causing unlawful damage” under Section 172 of the Criminal Offences Act (Act 29).
He was handed the custodial sentence after being found guilty of deliberately destroying parapet beams and accessories along the interchange. He will serve his term at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.
The offence took place on June 9, 2025, barely months after the interchange had been opened to traffic as part of government’s broader infrastructure agenda to modernize Accra’s road network.
The Obetsebi Lamptey project, completed after years of heavy construction works, was designed to ease bottlenecks on the Kaneshie–Circle stretch, one of the busiest arteries in the city.
Ministry Raises Alarm Over Vandalism
In response to the ruling, the Ministry of Roads and Highways expressed concern about what it described as a troubling wave of vandalism against public road infrastructure.
“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,” a statement issued on Friday, August 22, read.
Officials warned that such acts not only waste public resources but also undermine the government’s efforts to improve road safety and urban mobility.
The Ministry stressed that the law would be applied strictly in cases where individuals are found culpable of damaging state property.
