The Management of the Forestry Department Authority (FDA) has disclosed that it’s Rangers along with law enforcement officers, have arrested a huge consignment of woods value over US$20,000 (twenty thousand United States Dollars). Accordingly, the arrest was carry out at it’s check points in Nimba, Bong and Grand Cape Mount Counties respectively between September 2024 and January 2025, after it was believed that the four truck, loaded with block-woods, were invading government of lawful revenue and involved in illegal trading. the disclosure over the weekend in Monrovia, FDA Deputy Managing Director for Administration, Victor Kpaiseh, said the block-woods, also known as Kpokolo, teak and round logs did not pass through its computerized system called Liberia Trace. He said their check- points division locked down the first truck which was carrying eighty (80) pieces of block-woods in Sanniquelle, Nimba county.
Accordingly, they encountered another truck with 200 pieces in Ganta, 400 pieces at it’s Salala Check- point in Bong County, and a truck loaded with 26 pieces of block-woods and round logs from Sierra Leone was also arrested at its check- point in Gba, Grand Cape Mount County. He noted that following the arrest at it’s Gba check point, the Agency gather intelligence that the company involved (Libfor), has a based in Caldwell where all of the illegal harvested woods are normally kept for export purpose. The Deputy Managing Director further disclosed that they took the company to the Caldwell Magisterial court on January 22, 2025 for invading government revenue and illegally trading of block-woods and round logs in the country. He indicated that after thorough court assessment at the compound of the Libfor company in Caldwell, it was established that the owner of the company, Amara Fofana, was indeed in gross violation if the FDA law by illegally trading of block-woods and round logs outside of Liber Trace. “FDA decision to confiscate the woods in the trucks is based on the owner of the truck or company involved inability to obtain proper documentation for said transaction. FDA investigation further established that the companies involved invaded the custom sector of the country in terms of revenue,” he said. He said besides the invasion of tax, FDA has since banned the harvesting and exportation of block-woods in the country, as they are not to be harvested or exported from Liberia. “Six hundred pieces of teak woods belong to Rose Mac, while two hundred pieces of block-woods belong to Amengo. Our investigation has revealed that both companies operational permit have since expired,” he said. He said FDA is currently processing both Rose Mac and Amango to court for violating the forestry law and invading government revenue, as the confiscated woods are currently at its compound pending court action. In another related development, the FDA has disclosed that it’s law enforcement division after a heated interaction with illegal occupants at the Alpha logging concession area in Lofa County, arrested hunters with five single barrel guns and some farming materials. He said the five single barrel guns are currently in the possession of FDA and it will officially be turned over to the Ministry of Justice, while the farming tools confiscated were turned over to the community leadership for investigation, as the hunters and farmers are asked to immediately vacate the concession area.
Macpherson C. Marbiah writes/0886442881/0777250370