Minister rejects GH¢100 bribe

The unexpected occurred on Thursday June 4, when a 35-year old suspected illegal chainsaw dealer Musah Ametsro, who was busted, attempted to bribe the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, with a cash amount of GH¢100, in full glare his entourage.

This incident occurred during a tour by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to some timber firms and plantations in the Brong Ahafo Region and Newmont Ghana Gold Limited.

Alhaji Collins Dauda, after touring the Namasua Forest Plantation, chanced upon a KIA truck with registration AS 8711 E, parked along the Berekum-Seikwa road, covered with a tarpaulin.

The Minister, upon suspicion, stopped with his entourage, which included his Deputy, Mr. Ford Henry Kamel, forestry officials and a section of the media from the region.

He ordered the truck uncovered to ascertain its contents, which was complied with by the driver.

True and behold, the Minister's suspicions were right, as the truck was fully loaded with sawn lumber suspected to be illegal.

But to the surprise of the entire members of the Minister's entourage, Musah Ametsro did not recognise the Minister, and for that matter the looming danger.

Musah Ametsro approached Alhaji Dauda and started complaining about the ordeal encountered through the voyage, after purchasing the lumber from Dormaa-Ahenkro and travelling through Berekum to their current destination, where the truck had developed fault.

“Brothers please spare us this time, and consider our plight now, because we've paid several amounts of money on our way, and now look our car is also broken down, and we also have a long way ahead," Musah Ametsro said in Twi.

According to the suspect, they had purchased the lumber from Dormaa, and were transporting it all the way to Yeji to construct a fishing boat, because the type of wood needed was currently scarce to get at the sawmills.

He excused the Minister and the entourage, and went to the front of the KIA truck for few minutes, and returned with the cash of GH¢100 to bribe the team to allow him to continue with the journey.

“Please kindly take this and allow us to go, because we are already cash-drained by security guards along the road, and this all that is left," Musah pleaded.

The actions of the suspect made all the members of the convoy laughed their hearts out, but it was observed from the faces of the Forestry Officials, who were part of the team that they were not comfortable with what was going on.

However, Alhaji Collins Dauda ordered for the arrest of Musah Ametsro for the necessary investigations to be conducted and the law to deal with him.

But Musah, who was still ignorant of the situation, continued with his appeal that they were going to the wood to build boats for fishing at Yeji to keep the fishing industry alive, since the current scarcity of wood for the construction of boats, had affected the industry in the area.

However, his pleas were not taken as the Minister insisted that the right thing be done.