Abu Akorli
A 53-year-old wood dealer and carpenter, Abu Akorli from Bomaa in the Ahafo Region, has been sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment by a Sunyani District Court for buying lumber from illegal chainsaw operators.
The court, presided over by Jojo Hagan, found him guilty on his own plea.
The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Ernest Donyina, told the court that a KIA truck with registration number AS 3356-N belonging to the convict was intercepted by Forestry Commission Taskforce recently.
A search conducted by members of the taskforce revealed 30 pieces of Odum lumber.
He said the suspect was arrested and handed over to Brong Ahafo Regional Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation.
He said later investigations established that the convict bought the beams illegally from illegal chainsaw operators and was therefore charged with buying harvested timber without utilization contract contrary to Section 17 (2c) of Timber Resources Management Law (Act 547).
He was also charged for using his vehicle to transport illegal timber without a utilization contract contrary to Section 17 (2f) of Timber Resources Management Law (Act 547).
Delivering the sentence, the judge said the court sentenced him to serve as a deterrent to other wood buyers who encourage the nefarious activity despite government’s efforts to discourage the practice and preserve the country’s fast depleting forests. Â
From Daniel Y Dayee, Bomaa