A Ghanaian legislator Ebenezer Okletey Terlarbi has been charged by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for engaging in illegal connections and consuming power freely.
Ebenezer Okletey Terlarbi, a Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, according to a letter sighted by energynewsafrica.com, has been charged for tampering or interfering with ECG’s meter and unauthorised service connection.
The power distribution company, weeks ago, started the installation of pre-payment meters in the Lower and Manya Krobo area as part of an effort to prevent the continuous accumulation of bills owed to the former by electricity consumers in the area.
ECG, according to our sources, replaced the MP’s postpaid meter last Saturday afternoon after the MP had allegedly granted ECG officials access to his premises to install the meters.
However, a few days after the installation, the MP held a press conference and accused ECG of disrespecting his office by not informing him before going to his premises.
He argued that though he would not have resisted the exercise, notifying him of their coming would have fostered trust among both sides.
According to energynewsafrica.com‘s sources, ECG officials returned to the MP’s house on a routine check only to discover that the prepaid meters had been removed.
Surprisingly, the MP had illegally reconnected his house with power contrary to LI 165(1999) and LI 1702 (2002) which criminalise the act.
The letter stated that the MP is required to report to the ECG office within 72 hours of the issuance of the letter.
Per the reading on the MP’s postpaid meter, the MP consumed power to the tune of Gh¢5,510.31 from January 2022 to date.
Already, the MP is owing ECG an outstanding electricity bill to the tune of Gh¢30,209.42 between 2017 and 2021.
Attempts to reach the MP on his mobile phone and through text messages have proven futile.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com