The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change has been summoned by lawmakers to appear and shed light on seventeen (17) containers loaded with Pterocarpus erinaceouswood [rose wood].
Hon. Sainey Touray, chairman of the committee on environment of the National Assembly informed “the Minister and team that they’re summon to appear before committee to shed light on the containers containing Pterocarpus erinaceouswood locally known as “keno” in mandinka and “wen” in wollof park at the buffer zone which was a public outcry on the social media (Facebook).”
In his response, Minister Dibba informed the committee that as part of their commitment in ensuring implementation of the CITES protocol, on Monday, 25th of January 2021, they gathered information through someone that 17th containers loaded with Pterocarpus erinaceus wood locally known as “keno” are Park at buffer zone and the Ministry personnel visited the site and found out that 17 containers were found loaded with semi-processed Pterocarpus erinaceus or “keno” of various dimensions at the Buffer zone ready to be transported to the port for shipment.
Minister Dibba told the lawmakers that an investigation was carried out to establish the owner of the containers loaded with Pterocarpus erinaceus and to see if they are newly processed or old and the investigation revealed that all the 17 containers are newly processed and the 17 containers belong to one Saikou Konteh.
“The 17 containers were inspected one by one and interview was conducted by the personal of the department with Saikou who claimed that the products were the remnants of his last permit that he could not find shipments for and now decided to park them at Buffer Zone, but the investigators from experience and observation found out that the products are very new and fresh with signs of oozing gums meaning they were parked into containers not long ago,” he said.
He said the members recommendation or decision of the Ministry in regards to the case is that saying “Saikou Konteh will be prosecuted in accordance with the forest Act, 2018 of The Gambia. The products must be declared forfeited in a court of law and hand over to the state as stated in the forest Act 2018, West Coast Regional forestry office should be allowed to proceed with the issue at the court of law.”
“Since the containers loaded with Pterocarpus erinaceus are newly obtained produce and in order to put a stop to such action and also to avoid other from practicing the same act, the culprit Mr. Saikou Konteh and team will be taken to court without any delay. The produce should be confiscated and hand over to the Department of Forestry,” he said.