The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Limited has arrested 52 customers in Accra for stealing electricity power worth GH¢750,000 through various forms of illegal connections.
The debt which has since been retrieved from them, was equivalent to 550,000kWh of electricity(plus taxes and administrative charges) consumed through meter bypassing, meter tampering and direct connections.
The ECG Accra West Region uncovered the activities of the customers in its catchment areas covering; Ablekuma, Achimota, Amasaman, Bortianor, Dansoman, Kaneshie, Korlebu and Nsawam.
The Revenue Protection Manager, ECG Accra West Region, Dr Mark Owusu said the debt was recovered in first 10-days of the Company’s ongoing exercise, started about three weeks ago, to retrieve its debts.
He commended the field team for uncovering the illegalities, nothing the sophistication of the illegalities identified showed a resolve by some customers to deny the company of revenue from the electricity they use.
He said apart from disconnecting power to the offenders, they were surcharged and asked to pay penalty fees while some of the cases would be handed over to the police for prosecution.
He expressed the hope that the arrest, surcharge and prosecution would serve as deterrent to other customers to desist from any acts of illegality against the Company.
The ECG Accra West General Manager, Emmanuel Akinie, said the Company was investing heavily in technology to help identify customers who engage in illegalities.
“We have introduced some smart meter solutions on pilot basis, which give us real time updates of what is happening on a customer premises. It signals our office once the meter-case is opened, bypassed or tampered with,” he said.
Mr Akinie signaled plans to roll out more of such smart meters to aid in the fight against illegalities.
BY TIMES REPORTER
