Chainsaw operator charged with illegally felling timber

Sekondi, July 6, GNA- Anthony Cobbinah, a chainsaw operator was on Tuesday put before a Sekondi District Magistrate's Court for allegedly felling timber illegally.

He was charged with four counts of harvesting timber without valid timber utilization permit, using unregistered chainsaw to felling timber, moving logs without conveyance certificate and assault. Cobbinah pleaded guilty to harvesting timber without valid timber utilization permit and moving logs without conveyance certificate but not guilty to assault and using unregistered chainsaw to fell trees. The court remanded him to re-appear on July 8, this year, to enable the police to investigate his claim that the chainsaw used to fell the timber did not belong to him.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Joe Hedidor said in June this year, the accused entered Adum Banso forest without a permit from the Forestry Department.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said the accused fell timber and converted them into lumber boards and engaged Christian Dadzie, the complainant and others to convey the boards to his house at Adum Banso.

He said the complainant sustained injuries on his leg, while conveying the boards and could not complete his portion of the work. Chief Inspector Hedidor said the accused therefore engaged another person to continue from where the complainant left off but the newly engaged person who is a witness in the case sought the assistance of the complainant to do the work.

He said the accused paid the witness but refused to pay the complainant because he delayed the work and this brought about a quarrel between him and the complainant.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said the accused attacked the complainant and bit him several times at his back. He said the complainant reported the matter to the police and was issued with a medical form for treatment and the accused was arrested and charged.