The Obuasi Circuit court, presided over by His Lordship Mark Tairima Diboro, has sentenced four persons, including a pastor, to a total of eight years in imprisonment in hard labour.
They are Matthew Tetteh, aka Osofo, 36; Isaac Kwadwo Tamatey, 42, Chainsaw Operator; Gabriel Kumah Senior, a 28-year-old labourer and Ebenezer Coffie, a Chainsaw operator.
They were charged with two counts of unlawfully entering theAyamankata portion of Nkrabea Forest Reserve in the Ashanti region and threat of death, contrary to section 75 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (ACT 29/60).
The Nkrabea Forest Reserve has an impressive area of 8,086 hectares, with about 214.4 hectares currently under encroachment.
The Prosecution told the court that on December 18, 2024 the accused entered Compartment 65 of the Nkrabea Forest Reserve and fell one Danta tree and two Wawa trees, valued at GHC 16,614.65 and cut them into 24 beams and 87 double boards, without the written consent or authority of a competent Forestry officer of the Forest Reserve division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana.
The accused persons were arrested by the Bekwai Forest District, headed by Mr. Ernest Adofo and arraigned before the Obuasi Circuit Court on December 20, 2024 and prosecuted.
The court, upholding the offences of felling timber in a forest reserve without lawful authority upon their plea of guilty, accordingly sentenced each of them to a two year prison term in hard labour.
In giving judgment, His Lordship Diboro took into account the alarming rate at which our forest reserves are being destroyed by illegal loggers and miners and that, concerted efforts must be put in place to reduce the menace.
The judge noted that these efforts should be collective and should involve the people, officers with oversight responsibilities and traditional rulers, emphasising that the role of the courts cannot be over emphasised.
The court also considered the forest protection (Amendment) Acty 2002 Act 624, which provides that: “Any person who fell: up roots, lops, girdles, taps, damages by fire or otherwise damages any tree or timber in a forest reserve without the written consent of the competent forest authority ” commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 500 penalty units or to imprisonment not excluding 2 years or to both.
Judge Diboro stressed the need for all stakeholders to join hands to clamp down on the menace, since a felled tree in a forest reserve does not only affect the particular tree, but both the fauna and flora.
He noted that many of these reserves are under threat from deforestation, agricultural encroachment and illegal logging, hence the need to punish the accused persons.
The circuit court judge also cautioned all illegal miners and chain saw operators who still sneak into the forest reserve to destroy the vegetation to advise themselves and stay off stressing that
the Obuasi Circuit court will not temper justice with mercy when they are brought before it.
The post Pastor, others jailed for unlawful harvesting of logs in Nkrabea Forest Reserve appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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