- Prince Owusu, Ransford Solomon, and Johnson Berko face court for illegal logging
- The accused are alleged to have cut down 45 valuable Cidrella trees
- Officials urge increased surveillance and collaborative efforts
Three chainsaw operators have been summoned to the Fiapre Circuit Court in the Sunyani West Municipality, facing charges for unlawfully cutting down 45 Cidrella trees valued at GH¢46,250 in the Amama Forest Reserve, Bono Region.
The defendants are Prince Owusu, 38, from Abesim; Ransford Solomon, 36, from Benu Nkwanta; and Johnson Berko, 20, from Kyiridua, all within the Sunyani Municipality.
At their hearing, they pleaded not guilty to charges of unauthorized forest entry and timber harvesting, violating the Timber Resource Management Act 2002 (Act 617). The court, led by Judge Akua Adoma Addae, has postponed the case until September 27, 2024, for a management conference. Another suspect, identified only as Ebenezer, remains at large.
Chief Inspector Eric Agyenim Boateng reported that Eugene Kwabena Opoku, the Sunyani Forest Range Manager, discovered the defendants during a patrol on August 29, 2024, at around 0900 hours. The team heard a chainsaw and found the accused in the act of cutting down trees.
The operators were arrested, and their chainsaw was seized. During interrogation, they confessed to entering the reserve and harvesting the trees.
Mr. Francis Brobbey, District Manager of the Sunyani Forest District, expressed concern that illegal logging and other activities are rapidly depleting the forest. He emphasized that without immediate action, the Green Ghana Initiative’s goals are at risk.
He called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to enhance surveillance and protect the forest reserves from exploitation.
