Mr Kwabena Owusu Dome, a saw miller, has appealed to the police administration to investigate the alleged involvement of the Deputy Eastern Regional crime office in an illegal chainsaw operation.
He noted that the unfolding events where a timber concession granted him under the forestry laws was being plundered with impunity by an illegal chainsaw operator in the name of the deputy crime officer was unacceptable and, therefore, appealed to the police administration to intervene.
Mr Dome who is the owner of Kasapa Sawmill Limited at Suhum, alleged that the involvement of the deputy crime officer was seriously hampering his work since the illegal chainsaw operator was felling trees at an alarming rate from his timber concessions at Akwadum and Nankese.
Mr Dome told the GNA in Koforidua that he had realized for sometime now that some chainsaw operators were illegally felling trees on his concessions and decided to track them until one Yaw Stephen was caught after felling 40 trees from his concession at Akwadum.
He said in the presence of the Begoro Forestry officer whom he had notified about the illegal chainsaw operation, Yaw Stephen claimed ownership of the trees and confirmed that a certain lady who owns the land gave him the permission to fell the trees.
Mr Dome said the next day, the Begoro district office of the Forestry department called to inform him about a complaint received from a woman known as Ms Ayiwa, that he Dome was operating on her land, which was part of his timber concession.
He said on another occasion, 52 pieces of sawn lumber were found around 20.00 hours on his concession and that he called the forestry officer who instructed that the lumber should be sent to the office, but the Akwadum police prevented him with the explanation that the deputy regional crime officer had instructed them not to allow the wood to be taken anywhere.
According to Mr Dome, in the course of the controversy, one Donkor, a chainsaw dealer, came to claim ownership of the lumber, saying that he had been hired by deputy crime officer to fell the trees for him.
Mr Dome observed that before the incident, the said Donkor had been boasting in the town of his connections with the deputy crime officer and
the latter's involvement in the chainsaw operations.
According to Mr Dome, in the midst of the confusion he lodge a complaint t the Regional Police Headquarters in Koforidua where Donkor was arrested but released in a few hours later.
Mr Dome said surprisingly, he was rather charged for destroying Ms Ayiwa's farmland and asked to go and sort out with her in terms of compensation.
When the deputy crime officer was contacted on phone he admitted knowledge of the matter but denied being involved or instructing Donkor to
fell lumber for him on any occasion.
According to him, Mr Dome reported the case to him and upon preliminary investigations, Donkor and Ms Ayiwa were arrested but it was later revealed that the concession was on Ms Ayiwa's farm.
The deputy crime officer said it later came to light that Ms Ayiwa had petitioned the Eastern Regional Minister on the destruction of her farm to which the minister had directed her to the Begoro forestry office to seek redress.
He said in the light of this, Mr Dome admitted that he destroyed a number of the woman's cocoa trees and so he the deputy crime officer directed that as per the forestry laws, the issue of compensation should be settled first whiles investigations were further conducted into the felling of trees on his concession.
He indicated that the case was still pending and expressed surprise that Mr Dome was trying to use his name to cover up for the compensation due
to be paid to the woman.