Dormaa-Ahenkro: Illegal Chainsaw Operators Remanded
The Dormaa Ahenkro Circuit court in the Bono Region has given a bail bond to five illegal chainsaw operators who were earlier arrested on the 25th of January, 2021.
However, it is only two of the suspects, 20 year-old Sarfo Louis and 22-year-old Gideon Appiah who met the bail condition. The rest, 19 year-old Hamza Mohammed,30 year-old Shadrach Tetteh, and Stephen Kollam couldn’t meet the bail condition were remanded at the Sunyani prisons.
The bail condition was thirty thousand Ghana cedis with two sureties each. The Dormaa forestry division on the 25th of January arrested five illegal chainsaw operators in the Mpameso forest reserve at the Santaso portion in the Dormaa West district.
The five arrested were apprehended by the forestry service task force together with the military when they were caught operating in the Mpameso forest reserve.
The District Manager of the Dormaa Forestry Division, Ebenezer Mensah, speaking in an interview with the media said, it is a very worrying situation how some of the courts handle such cases; providing a fertile ground for such illegalities to thrive.
According to him, most of these illegal chainsaw operators are destroying the forest zones across the country. He added that, the illegal chainsaw operators sometimes attack the forestry officers in the course of their duties especially during inspection and monitoring.
He therefore appealed to the Chiefs and individuals residing along the forest zones to fight against illegal chainsaw operators. He also urged them and politicians who are usually behind this illegal chainsaw activities to desist from such acts.
Forest reserves such as Mpameso Forest Reserve could be totally destroyed like what happened to Pamu Berekum forest reserve if proper measures are not taken to stop illegal logging.
The manager further mentioned that, the Chainsaw operators usually log the most expensive and scarce timber such as Mahogany, Odum, Sapele and the like, an activity even the forestry officers are not allow to do.
Source: Christiana Afua Nyarko | myactiveonline.com Follow us on Twitter @activetvgh
