Weija police command arrest man over illegal power connection
By DL News
Published
1 min read
Ekow was brought before the Weija Circuit Court on charges of theft, valued at GH¢156,000.00, and tampering with ECG’s electricity distribution meters.
The New Weija Police Command has apprehended Jackson Ekow, a 41-year-old electrician and subcontractor associated with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), for allegedly assisting a customer in illegally obtaining free electricity.
Ekow was brought before the Weija Circuit Court on charges of theft, valued at GH¢156,000.00, and tampering with ECG’s electricity distribution meters. Chief Inspector Joseph Barabu, the Investigating Officer, disclosed details of the case, revealing that the second suspect, currently on the run, was a caretaker of a four-bedroom storey house located in an area known as ‘Cassava Farm’ in Accra.
In December 2022, an ECG officer from the Bortianor District Office received a tip-off that the caretaker had illegally connected electricity to the residence without the installation of meters. Following investigations by the ECG field monitoring team, the illegal connection was confirmed, leading to the disconnection of power to the building.
The caretaker was summoned by ECG to pay a penalty and regularize the electricity connection. However, instead of complying, he enlisted the services of Jackson Ekow to restore the illegal power supply without ECG’s approval.
The Weija Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Joshua Caleb Abaidoo, granted Ekow bail set at GH¢12,000, with the case scheduled to resume on December 24.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Owusu Ansah, Revenue Protection Manager for ECG's Accra West Region, issued a warning against employing unauthorized individuals to tamper with ECG’s power distribution systems. He emphasized the company's commitment to intensified field monitoring and the use of technology to detect illegal connections.
Dr. Owusu Ansah assured that all offenders caught using electricity unlawfully would face surcharges for the stolen power and be prosecuted. The ECG Accra West Region operates across eight districts, including Ablekuma, Achimota, Amasaman, Bortianor, Dansoman, Kaneshie, Korle-bu, and Nsawam.
