Two in police grip for alleged electricity fraud

The Makola Division of the Ghana Police Service has arrested two persons, Amos Debi and Emmanuel Nartey, for allegedly engaging in electricity fraud.

The two were arrested following a report by officials of the Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Ltd.

“Narrating the details, the acting Accra West Regional General Manager of PDS, Engineer Ankomah Emmanuel, stated that while on routine monitoring of domestic electricity installations of some customers, staff of the PDS came across two meters in a house, records of which could not be traced in the company’s system.

“The meters were identified as stolen from their original users,” a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Accra West Region, Mr Fred Baimbill-Johnson, said.

He noted that the team, upon further investigations, realised that the meters in question had been illegally loaded with pre-paid credits, with a “master card”; such that it made it impossible to purchase pre-paid credits. Upon interrogation and a search of the first accused’s residence, the master card was found hidden in a bag.

“In his caution statement to the Police, Debi admitted committing the offence and mentioned Nartey, a resident of Mamprobi Kamara, as the source of the meters and card,” it said, adding that the Regional Manager revealed that he (Nartey) allegedly charged GH¢30.00 from customers to load their meters with credits worth GH¢50.”

Following his arrest, Emmanuel Nartey was identified as a former worker of the B.O.T Electrical Company, which operated a meter operating contract with the Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. (ECG).

He revealed that when the contract between ECG and the B.O.T ended, he retrieved the master card and meters from the BOT Company before their final departure for China. The two have since been arraigned before court, the statement said.