Nine ECG staff arrested for stealing high tension cables at Oda

Koforidua, June 3, GNA - Nine employees of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have been arrested by Akyem Oda Police for allegedly stealing high tension electricity cables. They sold them to scrap dealers at Atimpoku, a suburb of Akyem Oda. The suspects are Maxwell Mensah, Senior Electrical Technician, 42, Ibrahim Bashiru, Electrical Technician, 28, Christopher Kweitey, linesman, 34, Charles Ahiavi, linesman, 36, Samuel Amponsah, driver, 40 and Eric Nyarko, driver, 43.

The others are Isaac Tetteh Kumah, driver, 57, Augustine Abban, Senior Electrical Technician and Suleman Alhassan, linesman. Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Chairman of the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), announced this at a press conference at Koforidua, on Thursday.

He said following a tip-off, the Police organized a swoop on the premises of some scrap dealers and arrested one Ibrahim Amidu, who was in possession of five coils of the stolen cables. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who is also the Eastern Regional Minister, said with the aid of the scrap dealer, the suspects were arrested. He said the REGSEC is rewarding the informants who volunteered information leading to the arrest with GHC 2,000.00. He urged Municipal/District Security Councils to institute reward schemes for credible informants whose information would result in the arrest of nation wreckers.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said information made available to the REGSEC indicated that between January-May this year, about GHC 185,058.73 worth of cables had been stolen at four various points. The areas are Donkorkrom, Enyiresi, Akyem Tafo and Nkawkaw. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo appealed to Municipal/District Security Councils to form Community Watch Committees or Special Task Forces to protect the nation's vital installations. 03 June 10