Man Jailed 6 Months With Hard Labour Over Illegal Power Connection
- Wahab Shiraz, a resident of Bulpella in Tamale, has been sentenced to a six-month prison term with hard labour for stealing power from NEDCo
- Shiraz's illegal connection was discovered during a December 2023 NEDCo Mass Revenue Mobilisation Exercise
- He has also been given a GH₵6,000 fine and has been directed to pay for the power he stole from NEDCo
The Tamale District Court 1 has sentenced an accused person, Wahab Shiraz, to a six-month prison term with hard labour without the option of a fine over an illegal power connection.
Wahab Shiraz, a resident of Bulpella in Tamale, was discovered engaging in illegal activities during a December 2023 NEDCo Mass Revenue Mobilisation Exercise.
Source: Original
Despite receiving an illegal connection notice, he failed to report for investigation at the NEDCo office.
His case was then transferred to the Tamale police command, which led to his subsequent arrest and prosecution.
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Shiraz pleaded guilty to the charge of “Interference with the electricity distribution system” under Rules 41(2A) and 1(6) of the Electricity Supply and Distribution Rules 2005 (L.I. 1816).
In addition to his prison term, he was fined 500 penalty units, or GH₵6,000, to pay to the state.
The court also directed him to pay an additional GH₵10,096.55 to NEDCo as the estimated value of the power he had illegally consumed.
Failure to pay the fine would result in Shiraz spending an additional seven months behind bars.
NEDCo warns against illegal connections
Esther Yirbom, NEDCo’s legal representative, advised the general public against engaging in illegal power connections to avoid severe punishments such as the one faced by Shiraz.
She said persons who have engaged in illegal connections and have been caught should cooperate with NEDCo by paying for the stolen power consumed and signing a bond of good behaviour.
She noted that by taking advantage of NEDCo’s resolution options, culprits could face less severe punishments should the case be sent to court.
ECG lost GH¢ 4 million in 2021 to illegal connections
YEN.com.gh reported that Accra West Region Electricity Company of Ghana lost about GH¢ 4 million by 2021 over a nine-month period due to illegal connection activities.
Illegal connection operations stole an estimated 3.9 million kWh (3.9mkWh) between January and September 2021, resulting in the company's loss of GH¢3.9 million.
This was revealed by Dr Mark Owusu Ansa, Regional Finance Officer of the Accra West Region ECG office, in an interview with Ghana News Agency.
Proofread by Edwina N.K Quarcoo, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
