{"id":378570,"date":"2017-11-29T07:04:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T07:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=378570"},"modified":"2017-11-29T07:04:24","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T07:04:24","slug":"kuntunse-residents-to-sue-tomato-factory-owners-assembly-epa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/11\/kuntunse-residents-to-sue-tomato-factory-owners-assembly-epa\/","title":{"rendered":"Kuntunse residents to sue Tomato Factory owners, Assembly, EPA"},"content":{"rendered":"
Residents of Kuntunse in Accra have indicated that they will head to court in a bid to stop the unlawful operations of a tomato factory in the area.<\/p>\n
The EPA shut down the Happy Sunshine Tomato facility <\/a><\/strong>\u00a0which is managed by some Chinese expatriates, after a series of Citi News<\/strong> reports had revealed that the company was operating illegally in the residential area.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”AyxGsbKRjYnUr3moYtr2JWpZf92cR5ZS”]A notice of closure has been posted on the doors and walls of the factory after officials of the EPA, accompanied by the police went to the premises.<\/p>\n Illegal Chinese tomato factory operating again with DCE\u2019s backing<\/strong><\/p>\n However, despite the order from the EPA and complaints from the residents, the factory has reopened and is operating<\/strong> <\/a><\/span>again, with the tacit support of the Ga West Municipal Assembly led by the District Chief Executive,\u00a0Clement Wilkinson.<\/p>\n And according to the President of the Willow Court Residence Association, Malik Rockson, the home owners have decided to sue the owners of the facility as well as the Municipal Assembly for the continued operations of the factory despite the EPA’s directive.<\/p>\n “We would have to resort to the courts, \u00a0we’ll definitely have [to sue]. \u00a0We don’t want that factory at that particular location,” he said on Eyewitness News<\/strong> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n “We are going to sue the Chinese [owners] and we’ll join the EPA and Ga West Assembly.”<\/p>\n He believes that allowing the company to continue their operations will set a bad precedent and could encourage other factories to move there.<\/p>\n “If the factory stays, another factory might come and set up and will we have the moral right to ask them not to operate?,” he asked.<\/p>\n Factory shut down, asked to relocate<\/strong><\/p>\n The EPA had earlier held a closed-door meeting between management of the factory where the company was directed to move its operations<\/strong><\/a><\/span> to an industrial area, as their current location has not been zoned for such activities.<\/p>\n