Seven illegal chainsaw operators remanded

Kumasi, Nov. 4, GNA - Seven persons alleged to be involved in illegal chain-saw operation in the Juaso Forest Reserve in the Asante-Akim South District were on Thursday remanded by a circuit court at Kumasi.

The accused, Kwame Offeh, Kwame Nyarko, Kwasi Ofori, Kwasi Issah, Yaw Ofori, Yaw Sarpong, and Kwaku Twum , all pleaded guilty and will re-appear on November 15 for sentence.

The prosecution told the court presided over by Mr Earnest Yao Obimpeh that on October 31, this year, a military/police task force and officials of the Forestry Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission arrested the accused persons right in the act as they were busy conveying sawn lumber from the Prakaw Forest Reserve to some destination.

Meanwhile, Mr Atta Owusu, Ashanti Regional Manager of the FSD, has expressed grave concern over the spate of destruction of the country's forest resources through illegal logging, saying: 93It is the bane of the country's sustainable forest management to which government had already committed enormous resources.

He appealed to the public to volunteer credible information on the activities of such miscreants who destroy the country's vegetation to help stem the plunder of the Nation's forest resources.