Four fined for illegal transportation of rosewood
A Circuit Court in Wa in the Upper West Region has fined four persons, made up of two Chinese and two Ghanaians, a total of GHc8,000 for illegally transporting rosewood.
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The convicts are Jian Hua, 38, Luo Da Fa, 30, both Chinese, resident at Wa, Mohammed Yusif, a 36 year-old driver based in Tema, and Issa Bakoro, 30, of Tumu.
They were found by personnel of the Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission who were on their normal patrol at Halemboi, near Funsi in the Wa East District, loading a DAF articulated truck with registration number GR 8259 G and a Nissan Pick-Up with registration number GN 4410-13 with 149 logs of the banned specie.
The felling of rosewood has been banned in the northern parts of the country by the government to minimise the wanton destruction of the environment.
Facts
Giving the facts of the case before the court, presided over by Mr Forson Agyepong Baah, the prosecutor, Pastor Pius Dumba of the Forestry Commission, said the convicts were spotted at about 11:40am on June 11, this year, loading the quantity of logs of the banned specie which had a street value of GHc15,579.96.
He said the Wa East District Police Command at Funsi was informed about the development, leading to the arrest of the four persons who subsequently appeared before the court on June 15, this year.
At their first appearance, they pleaded guilty to the charge and were granted bail in the sum of GHc10,000 each.
The passports of the Chinese nationals were deposited with the Registrar of the Court in order for them to re-appear on June 27, this year.
At their next appearance before the court last Tuesday, they were each fined GHc2,000.00 while the logs were confiscated to the state.
Another development
In a similar case on June 10, this year, two Ghanaians who were found by personnel of the Forestry Services Division loading a total of 111 paopao logs, one of the banned species in the country, were also fined GHc3,000 each.
They are Jackson Francis Brobbey and Yusif Liman.
The street value of the illegal trees was estimated at GHc86,1471.
