Forestry Commission officials defend contempt suit

Accra, June 26, GNA - Eight out of 11 officials of the Forestry Commission on Monday defended themselves in a contempt suit brought against them by the Ghana Association of Forest Plantation Wood Millers and Exporters Association (GATEX) at the Fast Track High Court. Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines and another officer of the Forestry Commission (FC), who were joined in the suit, are yet to open their defence.

GATEX filed a contempt suit against Professor Fobih and the others for conducting a competitive bidding despite a notice of interlocutory injunction on the bidding process.

The Association filed a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents from conducting competitive bidding for the Plantation Timber on Friday April 21. Mounting the witness box, Mr Peter Boateng, Acting Board Chairman, FC, denied he was aware of the interlocutory injunction and yet participated in the competitive bidding for the plantation timber. Mr Boating, who resides at Takoradi, said the Management of FC invited him to attend the Competitive bidding in Accra on April 21. He said it was two days after he had participated in the event that he was informed about the contempt suit.

Mr Boating, who was led in evidence by Mr Denis Osei, his Defence Counsel, said a bailiff from Tarkwa called him on phone and informed him that he had served his son of the court process.

Under cross-examination Mr Boating said procedure for the bid had been discussed much earlier.

He said that though the 2003 competitive bidding held by FC yielded results monies were not recovered.

Mr Boating explained that once a person won the bid, he or she could not automatically go into the forest to cut trees, adding the FC had the right to withdraw that right if payment was not effected. Mr Urias Kweku Amo, Solicitor Secretary, FC, said he did not take part in the competitive bidding.

Mr Amo said he was not aware of the motion of interlocutory injunction but heard of it four days after the bid.

He told the Court that he got to know later that the criminal summons was given to Mr Ben Asante of the FC's Registry.

The respondents/defendants include Mr Nobel Biney, Director in Charge of Finance and Administration, FC; Mr Gene Birikrong, Natural Resource Advisor, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning; Mr Edward Ameyaw, FC Official stationed at Akyem Oda. They have all denied knowledge of the interlocutory injunction.

The rest, who denied knowledge of the injunction, were Mr Charles Dei Amoah, FC Resource Centre, and Mr Robert Kofi Bamfo, Acting Head of Timber Rights Allocation.

The Court, however, suspended the evidence of Mr Augustine Arthur, Manager of Timber Rights Allocation Unit, when he disclosed that one Mr Bediako, a member of GATEX, had threatened that the bidding would not take place.

Mr Lartey, therefore, prayed the Court for an adjournment to enable Mr Arthur to substantiate that allegation. The court adjourned the case to July 6. 26 June 06