17 Nabbed Over Illegal Timber Deals

A COMBINED team of the Forestry Services Commission (FSC) and the Eastern Region police have arrested 17 people for various offences ranging from transportation of stolen lumber to illegal chainsaw operations.

The suspects who are going to face prosecution soon are Malik Awudu, Luke L. Adam, Ebo Kondua, Atta Kofi, Kofi Sarkodee Annan and Samuel Ayitey.

Others are Samuel Allotey, Clifford Obi, Yaw Sarkodee, Isaac Duah, Martin Appiah and R. Darko.

The rest are Dwamena (Ayebiahwe), Isaac Donkor, K. Appiah Seidu, Nana Ofosuhene and Kofi Yakanu.

This was disclosed by the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr. Francis Osafo-Mensah at a press conference at Kofoidua last Wednesday.

The press conference was organised to brief the press about latest developments on "Operation Bush Cut" to check illegal chainsaw activities in the forests.

The minister further disclosed that 10 chainsaw machines have been seized by the team, which went on patrols in the forests.

Sixteen vehicles being used by the illegal operators in transporting the chainsawn lumber have also been impounded with 10 parked at the Forestry Depot, Koforidua and the three at Osenease, Nsawam and Bunso.

A total of 5,257 pieces of various sizes of chainsaw wood made up of 'Emire', 'Kusia', 'Dahoma,' 'Odum', 'Esia' and 'Guarea' have been impounded or seized and are being kept at the Koforidua Forestry Depot.

Dr. Osafo-Mensah congratulated the team on the exercise dubbed "Operation Bush Cut", which started on February 20, this year, to arrest and prosecute illegal chainsaw operators and transporters and expressed the hope that it will be sustained.

The regional boss requested for a military team to beef up the strength of the police to stamp out the canker once and for all.

He directed that all the confiscated lumber should be sold publicly to recognized institutions, like the District Assemblies, schools, churches and some used for communal projects in the region.

He advised the public to contact the FSC in the region to take advantage of the President's initiative of re-afforestating 3,000 ha of forests in the Eastern Region, this year.

The FSC, together with identifiable traditional councils, Community Environmental Protection Brigades (CEPB) and committees, was also advised to undertake public education on the effects of de-forestation and the benefits to be derived from protecting and conserving the forest.

Also speaking, the Eastern Regional Director of FSC, Mr. Raphael Yeboah, proposed the setting up of a high powered advisory committee made up of the Security Council, Regional Forestry Managements, the traditional rulers and regional administrators of stool lands to be chaired by the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr. Gustav Narh Domitey.

The committee will be an advisory group which will have an oversight ideas of forestry activities.

The group will meet quarterly to discuss the protection of the forest from depleting.