A 31-year-old unemployed man, Geofery Obuobi, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Circuit Court in Accra for his involvement in illegal power connection, property damage, and theft from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The court proceedings were presided over by Justice Bright Acquah.
The court heard that the Accra East District of the ECG had been grappling with a series of electrical cable thefts from their transformers.
These thefts had been causing power outages and financial losses to the ECG.
On October 19 of this year, an incident unfolded that would lead to Obuobi’s conviction.
A concerned individual from Ridge School reported a power outage to the ECG emergency line. In response, a team of ECG technicians was dispatched to the school.
Upon arriving at the ECG transformer, the technicians made a shocking discovery.
Geofery Obuobi was caught in the act of pulling a cable from the transformer, in an attempt to steal it.
He was promptly arrested by the ECG team.
Subsequent examinations of the transformer revealed that Obuobi had used a cutter to sever a core copper cable, specifically a 1×185 cable, with an estimated value of GH¢7,550.
This act not only disrupted power supply but also resulted in significant financial losses.
Obuobi was taken to the ECG Investigations Office, where an official complaint was lodged against him.
He was required to provide a caution statement. During the process, Obuobi admitted to his involvement in the illegal act, with an independent witness present.
As a result of his confession, investigations were conducted, and Obuobi was formally charged with multiple offenses.
He was subsequently arraigned before the court, where he pleaded guilty to all three counts brought against him.
In light of his guilty plea, the court convicted Obuobi on his own admission of guilt. Consequently, he was sentenced to three years in prison, with one year for each of the three counts, reflecting the severity of his actions.
This case serves as a stern warning against illegal power connections and property damage, highlighting the legal consequences of engaging in such activities.
It also underscores the importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure and the efforts made to combat electricity theft and disruptions to the electrical supply system.
