The Forestry Commission has interdicted Mr Eric Boamah of the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) and Felix Gatiba, the Ahafo Area Manager, amid an ongoing controversy surrounding the disposal of impounded chainsaw lumber in the Ahafo Region.

The action follows allegations that an auction was conducted in breach of a temporary freeze imposed by the Chief Executive Officer earlier this year.

According to an interdiction letter issued by management, the decision stems from an incident involving an impounded truck with registration AS 3990–25, which was found transporting auctioned lumber from the MIM TIDD Area Office.

This, the Commission argues, contravened a directive dated 17th April 2025 that placed a moratorium on auctioning confiscated lumber and other forest products.

However, documents available indicate that the interdicted officer was acting under explicit instructions from senior leadership at the time.

Directive led by Deputy CEO

A formal directive issued by the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) of the Commission, Elikem E.K. Kotoko, sheds further light on the events preceding the interdiction.

In the directive addressed to the Executive Director of TIDD and copied to the Ahafo Area Manager, the Deputy CEO detailed the outcome of a surprise compliance inspection he conducted across Ahafo and surrounding enclaves on 1st October 2025.

During the inspection, several trucks suspected of transporting chainsaw lumber without valid documentation were impounded.

The Deputy CEO subsequently issued clear instructions for the Ahafo TIDD office to initiate a full auction process in line with established Forestry Commission procedures.

His directive required the following actions:

1. Conduct an official auction to dispose of the impounded chain-saw lumber in strict accordance with Commission protocols.
2. Obtain the necessary court order to ensure full compliance with statutory requirements governing public auctions.
3. Form a committee to oversee the auction, under the supervision of the Area Manager.
4. Sustain the exercise until otherwise instructed.
5. Deposit all auction proceeds into the Forestry Commission’s designated bank account.
6. Provide monthly reports to the Deputy Chief Executive on the status of the auction operations.

The directive was marked as urgent, with emphasis on adherence to operational and financial regulations.

Interdiction and investigation

Despite this written instruction, management has suspended the two officers with immediate effect to allow what it calls an “unfettered investigation” into the alleged infraction. They will receive 50 per cent of their salaries during the period of interdiction.

The Acting Executive Director of TIDD has been tasked to work with the Corporate Human Resources Directorate to establish a Cross-Divisional Investigation Committee.

The committee is expected to submit its findings to the Chief Executive by Friday, 5th December 2025.

The two are asked to remain available to assist in the inquiry as the committee seeks to determine whether the auction and subsequent transportation of the lumber breached the Chief Executive’s temporary freeze directive or whether the officers were acting within the scope of lawful instructions from the Deputy CEO.

What are the suspended staff saying?

The affected officers insist that their suspension is unlawful. They argue that generating GH₵623,000 in revenue within a single month demonstrates their diligence and commitment and should have earned them recognition rather than a sanction.

They are therefore appealing to the relevant authorities to intervene and reinstate them to their posts.