A Circuit Court in Obuasi has sentenced one Yaw Nelson (second Accused) to a 12-month imprisonment with hard labour for unlawfully destroying cocoa trees belonging Madam Afua Adi, a cocoa farmer in Adansi Fumso near Obuasi.
A second Isaac Kyeremeh Yeboah (1st accused) was convicted and bonded to be of good behaviour for 6 months or in default serve 12 months Imprisonment with hard labour.
Mr. Kyeremeh Yeboah was spared custodial sentence because he was 73 years old.
According to the facts of the case, Madam Afua Adi had part of her cocoa farm destroyed by the two and the case was reported to the police and forwarded to Obuasi Circuit Court.
Due to the legal processes involved, she petitioned COCOBOD to intervene on her behalf and COCOBOD filed a separate suit on behalf of the farmer as a party because of the destruction of the cocoa trees.
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Although no compensation was awarded to Madam Afua Adi because prosecution could not establish the value of the cocoa trees destroyed, head of Illegal Mining ‘galamsey’ Desk at the office of Chief Executive-COCOBOD, Professor Michael Kwarteng was happy that the case had been won at the circuit court.
He notes that COCOBOD would be filling another suit at High Court in the coming days to seek for compensation for the farmer for the destruction of the cocoa trees by the accused.
“COCOBOD has filed number of cases at the high Court to deal with the destruction of cocoa farms by the illegal mining operators and this win is a good sign that we want to stem the destruction of cocoa farms by galamseyers”, he said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Kwarteng says COCOBOD will not relent in its efforts to stem galamsey in the cocoa production areas across the country.
Speaking exclusively to ATLFM NEWS after the case, he said with over 1000 hectors of cocoa lands being lost to galamsey, sensitization processes have begun to educate cocoa farmers on the adverse effect of the menace which is affecting cocoa production and the laws of the country
Central Region Case
Prof. Kwarteng said the case involving 120 farmers from kyerenkum and Kotokyire in the Twifu Atti Morkwa District seeking an injunction to ensure that 580 hectors of land earmarked for destruction is reclaimed has been adjourned to December 4th, 2023 for hearing.
He indicated that COCOBOD received the petition from the farmers to help them save their cocoa farms and their farming lands from destruction by the activities both mining companies and illegal miners galamsey
He said as a result of the petition, COCOBOD has initiated legal action against the miners and assured the farmers that COCOBOD was ready to support them to resist any attempts by illegal mining companies to invade their farms and destroy them.
Petitions
COCOBOD has received a number of petitions from cocoa farmers in the Central, Western, Ashanti, Western-North and the Oti regions for COCOBOD to help prevent illegal miners from destroying their cocoa farms, and announced that some of the cases were before the courts.
SOURCE: ATLFM NEWSROOM
