Mechanic apprentice imprisoned for illegally felling trees

Ibrahim Saddiq Yakubu, a 21-year-old auto mechanic apprentice, was on Tuesday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in hard by a Tarkwa Circuit Court for harvesting trees in the Neung Forest Reserve without authority.

He was caught harvesting a Mahogany tree and a Nyankom tree all valued 21, 293 Ghana cedis and pleaded guilty.

Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court presided by Mr. Justice Obeng Asante that on July 9 forest guards were on their normal patrol duty in the Reserve heard the sound of a chain saw machine.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said the guards spotted the Ibrahim and two accomplices, Kwesi, chainsaw operator and Peter Coffie, a driver, sawing the trees they had felled into lumber.

They took to their heels when they saw the guards but Ibrahim and Peter were arrested and handed over to the police but Kwesi escaped.

He said on July 10, Yakubu and Peter were released on police enquiry bail with one surety but Peter failed to report to the police.