Forestry Commission investigates staff involvement in illegal operations

The Forestry Commission of Ghana has begun an investigation into an alleged involvement of some of its employees in illegal timber logging in the Asenanyo forest reserve, in the Nkawie forest district of the Ashanti Region.

This is in response to complaints by members of a committee, recently inaugurated to check the rising degradation of the reserve.

Nana Poku Bosompim, Nkawie District Manager of the Forest Service Division (FSD) of the Commission, confirmed this to journalists and said the accusation of complicity was not being taken lightly.

It has therefore set its investigative machinery in motion to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the allegation.

The committee had reported of massive illegal timber logging in the Nyame Bekyere portion of the reserve and expressed strong suspicion that some workers of the Commission might be involved in the development.

Meanwhile, the FSD had moved to impound two timber trucks, a tractor and sawmill equipment belonging to the illegal operators.

Also seized were 140 logs hauled from the reserve to some unregistered sawmills at Bayerebon Number-Five, Subiri and Bibiani.

Nana Bosompim, repeated the call to the forest fringe communities to be bold and report all illegal timber activities in the reserves to the appropriate authorities for action.