Court grants bail to six persons facing charges for illegally felling trees

Six persons who unlawfully entered a forest reserve and illegal felled trees, have been granted a GH¢50,000.00 bail with two sureties each, by the Nkawie Circuit Court.

Akwasi Agyei, 56, Emmanuel Acheampong, 23, Issifu Issah, 48, Tahiru Moro, 30, Bright Dwumfour, 25, and Osei Kwadwo, are said to have entered the Tano-Offin forest reserve at Akantansu, near Nyinahin in the Atwima-Mponua District and illegally harvested various tree species.

They were arrested by a taskforce of the Nkawie Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC), when they were transporting the harvested trees from the forest reserve.

They pleaded not guilty and would reappear before the Court presided over by Mr Michael Johnson Abbey on October 14, this year.

Detective Inspector Anthony Acheampong told the Court that, the suspects were arrested on September 14 this year at about 3:30pm.

He said the taskforce intercepted the Mercedes Benz truck with registration number AS 754-Y, which was carrying the suspects in the forest reserve.

Inspector Acheampong said the suspects were sent to the Nkawie police station and during interrogation they confessed of going to load chainsaw lumber from the forest.

They led the police to the forest reserve where they had packed over 200 pieces of chainsaw lumber.

They were charged and brought before the court.

Source: GNA