A resident of Nzema in the Kwadaso Municipality of the Ashanti Region, Frank Mensah, is in the grips of the police for threatening to kill personnel of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for confronting him over power theft.
Mr Mensah allegedly pulled a cutlass on the staff of the company and threatened to kill them if they tried to touch the meter or arrest him.
Fearing for their lives, the personnel retreated and sought the assistance of the police who later arrested him.
He is currently in police custody and would soon be arraigned on charges of stealing, interference, and threat of death.
Illegal connection
Briefing Graphic Online, the Ashanti Regional Revenue Protection Manager of ECG, Mr Ishmael Oku, said his men were on their normal revenue mobilisation rounds and went to the house of Mr Mensah to inspect his meter.
He said during the inspection, it was discovered that while he (Mensah) had his electrical gadgets including bulbs on, the meter was off and not running.
According to Mr Oku, when Mr Mensah realised that the personnel had detected his illegal connection, “he went to pick a cutlass and threatened to slash the workers and asked them to leave the house.”
He said the workers had to lodge a complaint with the police who detailed some of their men to effect his arrest.
He said power theft was one of the challenges facing the company in the region.
That, he said, was causing the company lots of revenue losses.
He gave the assurance that the company would use all legal means possible to ensure those involved in the act face the full rigours of the law and surcharged with the cost of the power stolen.