A 60-year-old herbalist, Edward Worwornyo, and his 30-year-old son, Senyo Augustus Worwornyo, have been sentenced to four years in prison by the Hohoe Circuit Court for conspiracy, trespass, and the theft of teak trees.
The convicts, who pleaded not guilty, were tried, found guilty, and subsequently ordered to pay the complainant the value of the stolen teak trees.
The court, presided over by Mr. Michael Johnson Abbey, also imposed a fine of GH₵720 on the pair. In the event of non-payment, they would face an additional two years of imprisonment.
Prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Charles Aziati before the sentencing informed the court that the case involved a dispute over land ownership.
He noted that in recent times, individuals dissatisfied with court rulings in land disputes have taken matters into their own hands, resorting to illegal actions instead of pursuing an appeal.
The complainant, a carpenter, owned a teak and palm plantation in Gbi-Wegbe discovered on March 24, 2021, that some of his teak trees had been illegally cut down. Upon returning two days later, he found Senyo Augustus Worwornyo and three others sawing the fallen trees.
The police arrested Senyo, who confessed that his father had instructed him to cut down the trees.
Edward Worwornyo, the father, was subsequently arrested, claiming ownership of the land and the felled trees.
Despite a directive from the Divisional Police Commander to refrain from moving the felled trees pending investigation,
Edward Worwornyo defied the order. The complainant later provided police with a court judgment in his favour regarding the land, along with a site plan.
The convicts were unable to produce any documents to support their claim of ownership.
Chief Inspector Aziati urged the court to impose a harsh sentence, emphasizing the need to deter others from taking the law into their own hands.
Source: GNA
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