Tongues are wagging at the country’s Forestry Commission (FC) over the decision by an Accra High Court to set aside the indebtedness of the Commission’s former Board member, John Owusu Amankwah’s company to the Commission.
Mr Amankwah, who is the Managing Director of Jowak Sawmills Limited, had been allocated 17 teak concessions, totaling 9,563.456 cubic meters, in various parts of the country.
The company had a 2,092.683-cubic meter concession located near the Opro River at Offinso in the Ashanti region somewhere in June 2007.
It later emerged that the said concession at the Opro River had already been allocated to another company by name Evans Timbers, hence the need for a replacement for Messrs. Jowak.
The Forestry Commission and the sector Minister therefore thought it wise to replace the concession for the company with two more of such concessions, one at Pampawie Central and Afranso Brohuma, all totaling 8,514 cubic meters.
This also turned out to have exceeded what was supposed to have been given to the company as replacement and compensation.
Upon detection of the anomaly, the Commission notified Jowak and its managing director to fashion out ways in resolving the payment for the excess 6,422 cubic meters which ran into over GH¢1.2million.
At a meeting with the Commission on November 30, 2009, Mr. Amankwah was said to have agreed to settle his indebtedness to the FC in installment.
He made an initial payment of GH¢100,000.00 with a bank draft, with the promise of paying the rest in installment.
He thus spread the rest of the payment over a period of three months: April 4, 2010-GH¢350,000.00, May 20, 2010-GH¢443,047.40 and June 20, 2010-GH¢350,000.00.
But even before he could make the second payment in April 2010, Mr Amankwah quickly rushed to court to restrain the FC from giving the concession to another company, thereby stalling the payment.
After going through the case, the court presided over by Justice Kwabena Asuman-Adu granted Mr Amankwah and his company, Jowak, application in which they sought to restrain the Attorney General and the Forestry Commission from allocating or granting entry permit to any individual or company.
The court further annulled the purported cancellation of the disputed teak concession to another company and awarded cost including legal fees to Messrs Jowak.
The decision of the court is what has sparked concern among staff of the Commission who believed Mr Amankwah and his company, Jowak, had taken the FC and the state for a ride, under the protection of a court ruling.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Raphael Yeboah, commenting on the raging issue on Hot FM yesterday, indicated that the court ruling had been referred to its legal department for study and advice, adding that the Board would be meeting on the issue on Thursday.
He however insisted that Jowak owed the Commission and the state.
Indications are that the FC would seek to overturn the court ruling by appealing against the judgment.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu