By James Esuon
Agona Swedru, Sept 05, GNA – The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has sentenced Thomas Essel, a 35-year-old electrician to eight years imprisonment for stealing 400 meters of high-tension cables valued at GHC15,000 belonging to Power TEC VENTURE Company limited.
The cables were being used for a rural electrification project for the residents of Broferase, Kwesi Paintsil and 10 other communities in the Agona East District of the Central region.
The Prosecutor told the court presided over by Mr Jonathan Nunoo that the complainant is Mr William Azadekor, a foreman of the Power TEC Venture who lives at Kasoa .
Essel pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing and causing unlawful damage to the property of the government.
He was sentenced eight years on each count which is to run concurrently.
Chief Inspector Maxwell Boadu, prosecuting told the court presided over by Mr Jonathan Nunoo that the Essel is an electrician who hails from Duabone, near Duakwa in Agona East, one of the beneficiary communities of the project, but lives at Kasoa.
He said the complainant contracted by the government of Ghana to extend electricity power from Broferase -junction, near Agona Nsaba to Kwesi Paintsil and other villages including the home town of Essel.
The prosecutor said about three months ago, the complainant reported the theft of some quantities of high-tension cables from some of the high-tension poles at the project site.
According to the prosecutor, the complainant alerted the beneficiary communities about the thefts and urged them to be on guard to help apprehend the culprit.
On Saturday, August 27, 2022, around 10:00hours, Essel was seen with two big fertiliser sacks, a pair of climbing shoes, an electricity power tester, a plier, a pair of safety boots and a pair of hand gloves around the project site.
He said Essel put on his gadgets and after he had climbed the high-tension poles, started cutting the cables measuring 400 meters valued at GHC15,000 down.
Chief Inspector Boadu said a dog in the village sighted the accused and started barking and the noise attracted the owner, one Mr Kumi Shardrack who went out and saw the convict and raised an alarm.
Essel was arrested together with the stolen items and handed over to Agona Nsaba Police.
He said during the police investigations the convict in his confessions, revealed that his intention was to sell the cables to scrap dealers to earn some money to take care of his needs.
GNA