British court imprisons Ghanaian restaurant owner for keeping fish in a bathroom toilet.

A UK court has imposed a suspended prison term on Stephen Akuoko, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, for storing fish in insanitary conditions prior to supplying ready meals to local retailers.

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Akuoko's company, Tribal Foods, which was based in Watford, Hertfordshire, had been providing ready meals to supermarkets and corner shops for over three years under his operation.

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According to authorities, the products sold by Akuoko had excessively long use-by dates and lacked proper labeling of ingredients, rendering them "unfit for human consumption".

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The investigation into Tribal Foods was initiated by the local council's environmental health team, but they faced challenges in locating the business.

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A turning point in the case came in October 2024, when a fire broke out at Akuoko's flat, leading firefighters to discover large quantities of fish stored in a bathtub and on the bathroom floor next to a toilet, sparking serious concerns about hygiene.

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Following the discovery, Akuoko pleaded guilty to two food safety offences at St Albans Crown Court and was subsequently sentenced to a two-year prison term, suspended for two years, and prohibited from running any food business for five years.

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Prosecutor Michael Coley informed the court that investigators initially struggled to track down the business, and when they finally made contact with Akuoko by phone, he allegedly responded aggressively.