Pupil teacher fined for assaulting ECG staff

A Dzodze Magistrate Court presided over by Mr Lawrence Buernor Buer has fined Mac-Billy Ani, a primary four pupil teacher, GHC¢ 1,200.00 for assaulting a technical staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The convict was also charged with illegal connection of electricity.

Ani pleaded guilty to both offences and would in default of paying the fine, serve twelve months in prison with hard labor.

He was also ordered to pay a compensation of GH¢ 2,000.00 to the complainant, Emmanuel Agbemadu and as well sign a bond to be of good behavior for twelve months.

The court was told that the accused was caught by the complainant in October illegally connecting electricity to his home at Ehi-Biase Kpota in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region.

The prosecution said Agbemadu, on one of his routine checks of customers’ premises, observed that the accused, disconnected from the grid earlier, had illegally reconnected from another customer.

Agbemadu proceeded to disengage the illegal connection but before he left the premises, the accused arrived and ordered him to reconnect the house.

The court was told that in the ensuing confrontation, Ani pounced on the complainant and punched him in the face severally, leaving him with blood oozing from his mouth and nostrils.

The prosecution said Agbemadu made a report to the police later and an assessment by the Loss Control Unit of the ECG in Ho confirmed that power was illegally tapped without recourse to the Company.

Ani alleged that the complainant provoked him by first piercing him with his working tool.