The Akyem Oda District Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday jailed three illegal chainsaw operators to a total of 18 months in prison in hard labour for felling trees in a forest reserve.

The convicts are Samuel Owuredu, described by the police as a notorious chainsaw/wood dealer, Edward Saforo and Ohene George and were convicted on their own plea and they would each serve six months. A fourth suspect is on the run.

Police Chief Inspector Alice Appiakorang told the court presided over by Mr Albert Owusu Annor that a Forestry Commission team led by a Range Supervisor and the police went to the Oboyow Forest Reserve in the Birim South District and saw that the convicts who had already felled two Danta trees.

The team arrested Owuredu, Saforo and George but Foonye escaped.

Ms Dorothy Dampson, the Akyem Oda District Forestry Manager, expressed worry about the alarming rate at which the forest is being depleted.

She appealed to forest fringe communities to cooperate with forest guards to have illegal chainsaw operators arrested saying “if we do not take action now to protect the forest, sooner than later the whole place will turn into desert”.

Ms Dampson hailed the conviction of the illegal chainsaw operators and said it would serve as deterrent to others.