The Accra Circuit Court has convicted a mason and electrician for posing as Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) workers and extorting money from customers of ECG.
The court imposed a fine of GH¢1,200 each on Nana Adu Gyamfi, 33, and Derrick Ntow Adumah, 22, and in default serve six months in prison.
The two pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit crime, intentionally or knowingly interfering with suppliers’ distribution, defrauding by false pretences and stealing ECG meter.
Appearing before Samuel Bright Acquah, Paul Asibi Abarigah, Director of Prosecution, ECG, told the court that Gyamfi and Adumah devised a scheme and collected between GH¢20 and GH¢50 from ECG customers whom they claimed had engaged in illegal connections.
He further said the complainant, Gabriel Akinade, was the District Technical Officer of ECG, Dansoman, and the convicts were residents of Dansoman, Accra.
MrAbarigah told the court that Gyamfi and Adumah went to Zone Six, a suburb of Dansoman, and introduced themselves to Margaret Donkor and some customers in Dansoman and its environs that they (accused) were workers of ECG on meter monitoring operation.
The court heard that the convicts disconnected and removed installed ECG meter number P35765641 from a house over illegal connection.
Mr. Abarigah said Gyamfi and Adumahalso demanded monies ranging between GH¢20 and GH¢50 from the customers.
The prosecutor said the convicts were arrested and taken to the Dansoman ECG office.
Mr Abarigahalso said the case was then reported to the ECG Investigations Unit, and during the investigations, two reflective jackets, a flat board with ECG printed logo, screwdrivers, voltmeter and ECG meters with serial numbers P35774560 and P35765641 were found on the convicts.
The prosecutor told the court that the convicts admitted the offence in their caution statements, but Gyamfi told investigators that it was Adumah who introduced him into the “business”.
Ghanaian Times