By Gloria Atiase
Three persons are currently in the grips of the police for illegally preventing Electricity Company of Ghana Limited, ECG, officials from disconnecting an illegal power supply. A fourth suspect and owner of the disconnected meter, Odoi Darko, is currently on the run.
In an interview with the media, the Eastern Regional General Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana, Ing. Mrs. Sariel Etwire disclosed that a three-member team from the Asesewa District of the Company, on Wednesday afternoon went to Otweso, near Nkurakan to conduct a monitoring exercise on some customers disconnected last Thursday.
Upon reaching the town, they detected that a separate meter with an 802 Ghana cedis 77 pesewas debt disconnected alongside a mother meter from a pole has been illegally removed and reconnected with a new service line. She indicated that the meter was attached to another one owned by Odoi Darko which is used at his Welding Shop which has a debt of over four thousand Ghana Cedis.
According to Ing Mrs Etwire, the team approached Odoi Darko and demanded that he disclose the identity of the contractor who installed the meter, which he refused to do. The team then decided to disconnect the meter from the pole again.
In a bid to disconnect the illegal meter, Odoi Darko with the assistance of the said three resisted, preventing the ECG team from carrying out their official duties. The Nkurakan Police was then called to the scene to help the disconnection but the four further prevented the police and struggled with them in the process.
The Police Officers then retreated to the office and called for reinforcement from the Koforidua Central Police Station. A team was brought in to help apprehend the three, but Odoi Darko fled the scene. Ing. Mrs. Etwire said the suspects are currently in police custody pending investigations for prosecution.
