A Tamale District Court has sentenced a man to a six-month jail term for illegally connecting power and consuming it freely from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
The convict, Wahab Shiraz, will also pay a fine of 500 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢6,000 to the state.
The convict who is a resident of Bulpella, a suburb of Tamale, is also expected to pay GH¢10,096.55 to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), an estimated value of the electricity he had stolen.
The court presided over by Justice Derrick Annan, stated that should Shiraz fail to pay the amount owed to the state, he would face an additional seven months in prison.
Wahab Shiraz pleaded guilty to the charge of interference with the “electricity distribution system” under Rule 41 (2A) and 1 (6) of the Electricity Supply and Distribution Rules 2005 (L.I.1816).
His illegal activities were uncovered during NEDCo’s Mass Revenue Mobilisation Exercise in December 2023.
After receiving an illegal connection notice and failing to report for investigation, Shiraz’s case was referred to the Tamale police, leading to his prosecution and conviction.
Following the sentencing, NEDCo’s legal representative, Ms Esther Yirbom, urged the public to avoid illegal power connections and instead, take advantage of NEDCo’s resolution options.
She highlighted that suspects who cooperate by paying for stolen power and signing a bond of good behaviour might face reduced penalties if their cases go to court.
Ms Yirbom emphasised that while these measures do not absolve the offence, they could mitigate the severity of punishment.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com