Farmers jailed for poisoning river

Sunyani, March 23, GNA - A circuit court at Fiapre near Sunyani on Thursday sentenced two farmers to a total fine of 10 million cedis for poisoning River Bisi at Pepewase village in the Sunyani Municipality. The convicts, Kwaku Besia and Kwadwo Danaa, both pleaded guilty to the charge of poisoning and were sentenced to a fine of five million cedis each or in default two years imprisonment.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Martin Defeamekpor told the court that on March 18, the two persons together with four others now at large, went on a fishing expedition in the river.

He said the convicts poured a chemical called Rwreko 2.5 EC into the river, which is the only source of drinking water for the people in the community, with the intention of killing the fishes. The prosecutor said some residents in the village arrested Biesia but the others escaped into the bush. Danaa was identified and arrested when he later visited Biesia at the police cell in Sunyani. The court also sentenced Issifu Wedirago, a mason, to two years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing 275 meters of insulated cables valued at more than four million cedis belonging to the Volta River Authority.

Issifu pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing. Prosecuting, Mr Defeamekpor said on March 1, members of the Zongo watchdog committee met Issifu carrying the cables. The committee members challenged him and in an attempt to arrest him he abandoned the cables and took to his heels but they arrested him and sent him to the police station.