Man arrested for tapping power from Mahama’s residence

An electrician has been arrested for illegally tapping power from Ghana’s President John Mahama’s residence.

Prince Gyimah has pleaded guilty to the offence and has been fined GHC902,000 and has signed a bond to be of good behaviour.

The Circuit Court judge Worlanyo Kotoku also slapped a fine of GHCC200 on him as damages to state power distributor - the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG.)

According to Starr News’ Osei Owusu Amankwaah, who was in court Saturday, Gyimah was part of 27 people who have been sued by the ECG for tampering with power connections.

Amankwaah reported that only 14 of the accused were in court. Nine of them, he said, pleaded guilty to the offense of illegally bypassing and stealing power.

His Worship Kotoku fined them between GHC600 and GHC1,200. They were also asked to pay damages of Gh¢200 to the power distributor.

The manager in charge of prosecution at ECG Paul Assibi Abariga told Starr News: “This should be deterrent enough for all people who are thinking of doing same, illegal connection all over the country.”

He added: “It is an exercise to endanger deterrent in the entire general public – our wings are spread all over the country now to make sure we mop up all those we think are engaged in illegal connection. This is just a tip of the iceberg”.

The ECG said it has retrieved GHC50, 000 from power consumers since it set up a taskforce to check illegal electricity connection.