Illegal chainsaw operator jailed

The Assin Foso district court in the Assin North Municipality of the Central Region, presided over by Kwame Oheme Mensah on? Thursday sentenced an 18-year-old illegal chainsaw operator, Isaac Ofori, to six months imprisonment with hard labour.

Ofori pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced on his own pleads.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Robert Kweku Boahen said the incident happened on August 6, 2014 at Assin Darmang when a range Supervisor at the District Forestry Office, Mr Anthony Ekow Oppong, had information from the forestry guards that some illegal chainsaw operators had been cutting down trees in the area.

The prosecution stated that Mr Oppong dispatched his men to the scene where they saw the accused with two other people seriously cutting ?down the trees.

Mr Boahen added that the accused was arrested while his accomplices took to their heels and effort to arrest them proved futile.

The prosecutor said the accused was, therefore, sent to the Assin Foso Police Command and after investigations, he was put before the court.