Builsa South MP has threatened to sue the CEO of the Forestry Commission over allegations that he is involved in illegal rosewood trade.

Clement Apaak wants Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie to “provide evidence to back his allegations in Court.”

“I will sue Sir John for defamation,” he added.

The CEO of the Forestry Commission, better known as ‘Sir John’ accused the MP of “flocking” allegations of rosewood trade against his outfit because the MP is frustrated government has banned the product.

“It seems to me that he (the MP) has a problem because he no longer can do the business since the ban. That is why he is all over the place speaking about rosewood.”

But Clement Apaak finds the allegations spurious.

He wonders why he has not been arrested “and prosecuted me if I was ever involved in the criminal, illegal rosewood trade.”

Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Kwaku Asomah Kyeremeh, in March announced the renewal of a long time ban on harvesting, transportation and export of rosewood.

His announcement came a few days after a Joy News documentary “Killing Our Roses” revealed previous bans were being flouted.

However, an investigative report by Washington DC-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), alleged that the Forestry Commission is still issuing permits to members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to export rosewood despite a ban.

The report claimed undercover investigators discovered that powerful Chinese and Ghanaian traffickers were still harvesting and shipping rosewood out of the country through “the help of ruling party members and complicity at all levels of government.”

“They have established an institutionalized scheme, fueled by bribes, to mask the illegal harvest, transport, export, and CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species]- licensing of the timber,” the report said.

Following this, the government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources inaugurated a seven-member committee to probe allegations of rosewood smuggling in Ghana.

Even before the committee can present its reports, the neutrality of its membership has been questioned by Builsa South MP.

In a public statement, he wrote: “The committee set up by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to investigate the allegations made in the EIA report can't be trusted.”

According to him “the committee is put together and will report to the Minister, it's chaired by one of his deputies and has members drawn from the Forestry Commission, the Ministry, and Customs among others.”

He asked that “how can the very same entities allege to be deeply complicit in the ongoing illegal rosewood trade investigate a matter they are alleged to be involved in or superintending over?

Dr Clement Apaak believes the allegation against him is part of a campaign to “intimidate” him in his “efforts to save the woodland savannah ecological forest.”

But he serves notice that the “fight continues.

“I remain a citizen,” he adds.