Asankragwa (W/R) June 11, GNA - A district magistrates' court at Asankragwa has sentenced an illegal logger to pay a fine of 18 million cedis or two years imprisonment in hard labour for felling one odum and three mahogany trees in the Bura River Forest Reserve.

Kwadwo Amoako, 39, pleaded guilty to the charge of felling timber in a forest reserve without authority, contrary to section 1 (1) of Act 624/2002 of the Criminal Act and was convicted on his plea. Prosecuting, Police Inspector V.K. Bebli said Mr. Fuseini Abdulali Bansi, range supervisor of the Forestry Commission stationed at Asankragwa in April detected during an inspection tour of the forest at Semkrom that the four trees had been felled.

The prosecutor said the range supervisor through his own investigations traced Amoako to Wasa Akropong and alerted the police. The illegal logger upon arrest admitted the offence. The magistrate, Mr. John Evans Ocran, warned illegal loggers to take a cue and desist from such activities since they would not be spared when caught.

Mr. Kenneth Nimo Amoah, Asankragwa district forestry manager, when contacted advised communities living along the fringes of the forest reserves to report the activities of illegal loggers to the forestry officials for appropriate action. 11 June 07