The Convicts
A BEKWAI circuit court has imposed a GH?120,000 fine on each of two men accused of illegally harvesting trees in the Supuma Forest Reserve, near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, and processing them into lumbers and beams for sale.
Akwasi Kwarteng and Stephen Asare were convicted on their plea of guilty to five charges of trespassing, conspiracy, harvesting timber without utilisation contract, use of unregistered chainsaw machine and causing damage to 0.5-hectares of forest cover.
They will serve a six-month jail term in default of payment, the court, – presided over by Fredrick Nawura, stated.
The prosecutor, Detective Inspector Stephen Ofori, informed the court that the complainant, Emmanuel Agyapong, is the Deputy District Manager of the Forestry Services Division at Bekwai, whilst Akwasi Kwarteng and Stephen Asare are a chainsaw operator and a carpenter respectively.
On January, 13, 2018, Detective Inspector Ofori said, the complainant, a team of forestry officials and military officers were patrolling the Supuma Forest Reserve when they heard the sound of a chainsaw machine in the forest some meters away.
Inspector Ofori said the complainant and his team proceeded to the area and came across the convicts, who had felled a Guarea tree valued GH?1,200 and were processing it into lumbers and beams.
According to D/Insp Ofori, the duo could not produce their permit when they were asked to do so, explaining that they undertook the operation out of hunger.
The court heard that the chainsaw machine used by Akwasi Kwarteng and Stephen Asare – both residents of Betenase, near Obuasi – had not been registered and that their action had caused damage to 0.5 hectares of the Supuma Forest Reserve.
The prosecutor disclosed that an amount of GH?1,400 would be required to restore the forest to its original state, according to the Forestry Commission.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi