Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
A Circuit Court at Nkawie in the Atwema Mponua district of Ashanti region has remanded six persons including a chain saw operators into prisons custody for illegal logging of forest trees to pave way for farming activities.
The suspects were arrested in the middle of Disiri reserve on 17th March 2019, by a team of soldiers, forest guards led by Tepa Range Manager Palmer Aikins Amponsah, after several failed attempts to halt illegal activities of the farmers.
Suspects Benjamin Sarpong 51, Kakraba Mathew 39, Odonkor Natey 32, Meghenu Emmanue 63, Zuberiyeri Kakraba 39 and Kwaku Beiba 36 all dwellers of Subriso and Camp 2 in the Ahafo Ano North district municipality have with impunity destroyed Cedrella, Teak and several other indigenous species.
Addressing the Court on 18th March 2019, Police prosecutor, Inspector Jones Newlove Agyei said, the six suspects through illegal farming in the middle of the forest have destroyed several three trees species planted by former president John Agyekum Kuffours administrations as a project meant to rescue the forest which was fast turning into desert as a results of illegal human activities in the forest.
Adding, several attempts to arrest the suspects failed due to their radical nature in the forest by the forest guards until a joint military police personnel well deployed into the forest on the night of 16th March 2019.
The illegal farmers upon interrogation in court admitted entering into the forest without a permit, but however, pleaded not guilty. His lordship Micheal Johnson Abbey presiding judge of Nkawie Court court, therefore, remanded the six suspected into prisons custody to reappear on the 1st April 2019.
Meanwhile, management of Mankranso forest district led by the forest manager Mr. Godwin Agyemang and Range manager Palmer Aikins Amponsah have met community members of Camp2 who have gain notoriety convert precious forest land for agriculture on the need to preserve the forest to the benefit of the nation.
