By Joyce Danso
Accra, July 8, GNA – Four people, including a Chinese, have been granted GHC100,000 bail each for allegedly stealing GHC77,000 in power after tampering with Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) meters.
A Circuit Court in Accra further instructed Ernest Afatsawu, an electrician, Wisdom Sewlonu, a foreman, Ali Yakubu, a sales manager, and Ranlian Shan, the Chinese national, to provide two sureties each, one of whom must be justified as part of their bail conditions.
This was after the police had placed various charges against the defendants.
Afatsawu is being held on charges of interfering with the Supplier Distribution System and Meter, abetment of crime, and causing unlawful damage.
Yakubu and Shan have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.
Sewlonu is facing charges of money laundering.
They have denied the charges.
The court ordered Shan to deposit his travel documents with the court registry.
The prosecution did not oppose bail, but informed the court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah, that the bail conditions ought to compel the accused to appear for trial.
Lawyers for the accused filed a request for bail, arguing that their clients were not a flight risk, had a fixed place of residence, and were gainfully employed.
The prosecution informed the court that the complainant in the case was Ronney Wayo, an employee of ECG’s Special Operations Division.
According to the prosecution, Sewlonu works as a foreman for “Nyame aye bi” Electrical Company Limited, ECG’s third-party contractor.
The prosecution said Yakubu was the Sales Manager of Ranlian Manufacturing Company, a plastic company based in Oblogo, near Weija, while Shan was the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Manager.
The court heard that “Nyame Aye Bi” is an electrical company hired by ECG for their farming-out project that includes meter placement.
The prosecution stated that Sewlonu, the company’s foreman, receives meters from ECG’s suppliers on behalf of the company for the purpose of replacements.
It stated that following each meter installation, an accredited officer from an ECG-certified company is required to commission the meter for the customer’s use.
The Court was told that the complainant and his team undertook routine meter monitoring in July 2024.
During their monitoring, the team went to Yakubu and Shan’s house in Oblogo, near Weija.
The prosecution stated that the team observed Yakubu and Shan operating their plastic manufacturing company from the same location, and that during the inspection, it was discovered that Yakubu and Shan’s residential meter number P241396782 installed in front of their house had been tampered with.
The prosecution said the complainant observed that the meter’s security seals had been broken and the relay cable inside had been cut, causing the meter to be damaged.
The court was told that the team disconnected the power and issued notices to Yakubu and Shan to report to the ECG’s office.
The matter has been adjourned to August 23, 2024.
GNA