58-Year-Old Woman To Spend 21 Months In Jail For Using Rotten Vegetables To Prepare 'Shito' For Sale

• A court has jailed an elderly woman found to be selling shito she prepared with decomposing vegetables on February 15, 2023
• Elizabeth Arthur was initially jailed for one month in addition to a fine of GH¢4,800 but because she was unable to pay the fine, the court added 20 months to her jail term
• She was first arrested in January 2023 after someone tipped off the police about her criminal activities

A court in the Eastern Region capital Koforidua has jailed an elderly woman, Elizabeth Arthur, for selling bottled black pepper sauce, known popularly as 'shito', prepared with rotten vegetables.

According to a report by UTV, presiding judge Nana Ama Debrah Finn gave her judgment on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, after the 58-year-old woman pleaded not guilty to charges.

She was initially jailed for only one month in addition to a fine of GH¢4,800.

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But because she was unable to pay the fine, she was jailed for an additional 20 months.

Her legal representative from the Legal Aid Department pleaded with the court to show mercy by giving her a non-custodial because she was an elderly woman with a health condition, but the court was firm.

How Elizabeth Arthur was caught preparing food with rotten vegetables

Elizabeth Arthur, respected in her community because of her age, was arrested in January this year after someone blew the lid on her practice of preparing the favourite Ghana pepper sauce with only rotten vegetables.

Millers of her decomposing ingredients used for the sauce for sale tipped off police about Arthur's unhealthy activities leading to her arrest.

According to the local-language television station, UTV, the elderly woman known in her community as Naana was using decomposing onions, pepper, tomatoes and other ingredients discarded in the dump by local food joints.

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Woman celebrates 100th birthday in jail

In a separate story, another elderly woman, Ruth Bryan marked her 100th birthday in jail because she has never been to jail.

Police deputies heeded her request and on the day they arrested her and took her to Roxboro, North Carolina.

She was excited to be in jail and later went back to her retirement home where she celebrated with her family and friends.

Source: YEN.com.gh