Two Forestry Commission staff under the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD), have been suspended after they raised Ghs623,000 for the Commission.
The affected staff are the Ahafo Area Manager, Felix Gatiba and Eric Boamah, an inspector. The said amount was raised after they received an order from the Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko.
The Human Resource Director, acting on the orders of the Chief Executive, directed the Executive Director of TIDD to form a six-member committee to look into the issue.
Our sources indicate that following the appointment of Mr. Elikem Kotoko as Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission overseeing Operations, he identified considerable irregularities and voiced profound concern regarding the state’s revenue losses attributed to the illegal lumber trade.
This stance did not align favorably with certain unseen influences. In the wake of a strategically informed operation throughout the Ahafo and Bono region, the Deputy CEO seized numerous shipments of unlawful timber.
The merchants in question engage in operations devoid of the necessary permits, thereby denying the state of essential revenue, an action purportedly facilitated by those who gain from this unlawful commerce.
This figure exceeds 150 percent of the deposits recorded in the previous months by the National Monitoring Team.
It calls for serious answers from leaders of the National Monitoring Team with regards to their effectiveness in either impounding illegal lumber or accurately reporting the revenue generated.
Persons purportedly gaining from the underdeclared auctions exhibited significant resistance, as the directives from the Deputy CEO posed a threat to their illicit activities.
While investigations are ongoing, Felix Gatiba and Eric Boamah will lose half of their monthly salary.
Sources within the Commission indicate that the newly formed committee will conduct a comprehensive review of all processes, including the seizure of the lumber, the auctioning, and the collection of the Ghc 623,000, to assess compliance with established procedures and identify any potential violations.
