Two convicted of selling stolen ECG power...

(Image Above: From left to right: Godknows Hiatepe, Hayford Mortey, Angel Gabriel Qaurshie and Mumuni Isaaka)

The Accra Circuit Court has convicted two persons of interfering with the distribution system of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), resulting in damage to three ECG meters.

The convicts — Godknows Hiatepe, an aluminium fabricator, and Angel Gabriel Quarshie, a cultural drummer — were subsequently fined GHc1,200 or in default serve one year in prison with hard labour by the court, presided over by Mrs Afi Agbanu.

They were also ordered to pay GH¢2,000 as compensation to the ECG.

The convicts were charged with two others — Hayford Mortey, an IT officer, and Mumuni Isaaka, alias Mormey, a tailor — for allegedly stealing and using an ECG master card with an infinite amount of credit to provide power for some residents of Chantan in Accra for a fee.

They were also charged for damaging three ECG meters, valued at GH¢2,985.

Isaaka, who is said to have supplied the master card to his three accomplices, has also been charged for stealing the master card.

Bail

Mortey and Isaaka were granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 to reappear on August 27, 2016 to face trial on charges of stealing and using an ECG master card to provide power for some residents.

Isaaka, who had pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiring to commit crime and interfering with the ECG distribution system, was fined GH¢600 or in default serve six months in prison.

Facts

The Head of the Prosecution Unit of the ECG, Mr Paul Assibi Abariga, said the accused persons were arrested after some officials of the Accra West District Office of the ECG, during a field investigation duty, found that the credit on the meters of some customers was abnormal.

The customers, during interrogation by the ECG, are said to have mentioned Mortey, Hiatepe and Quarshie as the people who had credited their meters with GH¢200 worth of power at a fee of GH¢20.

When the three persons were arrested, Mr Abariga said, they told the investigators that they got the master card from Isaaka.

When he was arrested, Isaaka claimed that he had bought the card for GH¢400 from a man he identified only as Ben, but he could not assist the police to arrest the said Ben.

SOURCE: graphic.com.gh