Court fines two ECG employees for stealing
Two employees of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have been convicted by an Accra Circuit Court for stealing electrical items belonging to the company.
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The two, Kelvin Mawusi, a storekeeper, and Gregory Xenyo, an electrical technician at the Accra West Region of the ECG, Avenor, have been standing trial for the past four months. They were arrested when a security man saw them leaving the office premises with the stolen items valued at GH¢6,500.
The items included two boxes of 12 kilovolts 100 amps fuse cut-outs, three boxes of three kilovolts 10 amps surge arresters and three boxes of lightening arresters.
They were charged with stealing and conspiracy to commit crime and were initially granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 with two sureties.
After the trial, the court, presided over by Mrs Afi Agbanu, convicted the accused persons on their plea and fined them 200 penalty units, representing GH¢2,400 or in default serve two years with hard labour.
They were also ordered to pay GH¢2,000 each as compensation to the ECG.
Vigilant security man
Prosecuting, the Head of the ECG Prosecution Unit, Mr Paul Assibi Abariga, said a security guard of the company, identified only as Issifu, around 4 a.m. on February 13, 2016 intercepted a Toyota Land Cruiser, with registration number GT 7321 D, which was loaded with the items and prevented the occupants from taking the items out of the company's premises.
Issifu was said to have been suspicious when he realised the items did not have a waybill to cover them, in line with the standard procedure for moving items from the store to the field.
He ordered the two accused persons to unload the items from the car after which he reported the matter to the management of the company.
How items were stolen
Later, the ECG investigations unit arrested Xenyo, who allegedly admitted the offence but claimed he was asked by Mawusi to convey the items out of the company.
Mawusi was also said to have admitted the offence when he was arrested later.
Preliminary investigations, according to Mr Abariga, established that the two had agreed the previous day to steal the items which they would have sold and shared the proceeds.
Investigations also revealed that they loaded the items at about 9:30 p.m. on February 12, 2016, a day before they attempted to carry the items away.
Xenyo allegedly parked the vehicle in the yard of the company and returned about 4 a.m. on February 13, 2016, but he was intercepted at the gate by the security man.