The suspects
Four persons have been arrested and dragged before court for allegedly stealing nine (9) drums of 2×22 ECG cables valued at GH¢419,400.
Annor Daniel and Kwasi Andrews, both Ghanaians, are third-party contractors of ECG while Lucky Greayson Eseche, 34, and Obi Innocent, 37, both Nigerians are businessmen who bought the stolen cables from the ECG contractors.
The four were arrested following a tip-off that three drums of cables were being offloaded into an electrical shop at Tema which is operated by the two Nigerians.
Court document indicates that the cables were given to the third-party contractors who were engaged by ECG on their farming out project, to undertake meter replacements.
“As a result, they are supplied with materials by their respective ECG District Offices, in this case Legon and Kwabenya, to carry out the projects,” the facts sheet states.
The contractors ended up selling some of the cables handed them by ECG for the meter replacement exercise to the other accused persons at a cost of GH¢8 per meter instead of the GH¢23 per meter as quoted by the company.
Prior to their arrest in Tema, Lucky Greayson Eseche was seen spraying one drum of cable in order to conceal the ECG tag on it.
Court documents indicate that Lucky Greayson Eseche and Obi Innocent during their arrest admitted the offence and indicated that they got the cables from a person of interest only identified as Lord.
Annor Daniel and Kwasi Andrews are said to have also admitted giving the drums of cables to the said Lord to sell same to Obi Innocent, and also confirmed that the cables they sold were materials given to them by ECG to carry out the projects.
Crack Down
ECG has vowed to crack down on cable thieves whose activities are costing the company colossal losses and also affecting power supply.
Director of Investigation, Prosecution, and Security at ECG, Paul Asibi Abariga, addressing the media stated that the company is all out this time not just on power theft but every form of theft related to the company that increases its losses.
“The general public should just know that you cannot do a thing such as this against ECG and go scot-free. We are very vigilant now and we are watching everywhere,” he said.
Mr. Abariga further stated that “Ghanaians should know that we are working very assiduously to make sure that the distribution of power in this country is stabilised.”
He added that the company is on the move and gradually they are going to get everybody who is on their radar arrested and, therefore, cautioned the general populace to desist from interfering in the operations of the company which affect efficient distribution of power.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak