The New Abirem Magistrate Court has granted bail to two suspects standing trial for allegedly possessing illegal meters and attempting to distribute them to unsuspecting customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The suspects, Anthony Tuffour and Michael Bediako, were each granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties and would reappear in court on April 26, 2022.
The first prosecution witness Mr Simon Amezugbeh testified in court and recalled how the accused persons approached him with an intention to sell some meters to customers.
Mr Amezubeh, who doubles as the Abirem District Manager of ECG, told the court that the two accused persons approached him last year and said they had secured some meters from their Member of Parliament for onward distribution to customers in some communities at New Abirem at a fee of GH¢50 each.
The prosecution witness told the court that, he verified same from the MP, who denied knowledge of such meters.
He then requested a sample and the suspects brought a meter with the Ministry of Energy inscription. Upon testing, the meters did not match both ECG and Ministry of Energy standards.
Mr Amezubeh then informed the police and ECG Revenue Protection Unit. Upon further engagements, the suspects were arrested in July and brought two more samples of the meters.
The court presided over by His Worship Isaac Agyei, adjourned the case to April 26, 2022, to allow a second witness in the case to testify.
The Electricity Company of Ghana Limited recently waged a war against illegal infiltration of meters in the Eastern Region, and in the process arrested some five suspects, two at New Abirem and three at Suhum respectively.
Meanwhile, Ing. Michael Baah, the General Manager of ECG in the Eastern Region, has advised prospective customers to deal directly with ECG officials in their quest to secure electricity service connections to their homes.