Ghanaian Businessman in UK Convicted After Selling Fish Stored in Bathtub, Near Toilet to Customers
- A Ghanaian businessman in the UK sold fish stored in the bath next to the toilet, creating quite the health hazard
- A judge gave him a suspended sentence and a five-year food business ban, but no jail time, after he pleaded guilty
- A fire exposed the businessman's shady operations, leading to a food safety investigation and his eventual conviction
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
A Ghanaian businessman in the UK has been convicted after selling fish kept in unhygienic conditions to the public.
The man, Stephen Akuoko, 62, stored fish for sale in the bath next to the toilet before using them in meals and selling them illegally to supermarkets.
Source: UGC
The Daily Mail reported that he avoided jail time after his guilty plea. He received a two-year suspended prison sentence and a five-year ban from operating any food business.
Akuoko pleaded guilty to two food safety offences and was blasted by the judge for selling meals that were unfit for human consumption.
He had been operating in Watford under the name Tribal Foods for over three years, selling products considered shady because they had inappropriately long use-by dates and a lack of ingredient details.
Akuoko's business was pursued by the borough council's environmental health team due to concerns about the products.
He had been hiding from authorities until a fire at his home on Haines Way in October 2024.
Firefighters discovered huge quantities of fish in the bath and on the floor of the bathroom next to the toilet when they responded to the fire.
After an investigation, Akuoko told environmental health officials that he would stop selling his produce, but his unlabelled products were found in a local shop with CCTV footage showing he had made three deliveries to the store.
According to proceedings in court, Akuoko had lost an expensive legal fight and became homeless until he was given social housing.
Akuoko then set up Tribal Foods, which he initially operated from a rented kitchen space before he started cooking from home.
Source: UGC
Ghanaian woman in UK banned from teaching
In September 2024, a Ghanaian teacher in the UK was banned from teaching because of her history with child smuggling.
The woman, Ernestina Quainoo, 53, was found to have lied about her criminal past when she applied for a job in 2019.
Despite her crimes, she secured a teaching position at a primary school in West Drayton, London.
The Daily Mail reported that Quainoo's conviction only came to light when a colleague recognised her from a news report about her crime.
Ghanaian in UK found guilty of arson
In July 2025, YEN.com.gh reported that one Nii Mensah, a British-Ghanaian in the UK, was among a group found guilty of an arson attack on a warehouse in London.
The warehouse was linked to Ukraine, and the attack was linked to its tensions with Russia.
The 23-year-old was implicated alongside 23-year-old Jakeem Rose and 20-year old Ugnius Asmena. They were convicted of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life.
Source: YEN.com.gh
