The police have detained four individuals, including three Ghanaians and a Chinese national, for tampering with and installing manipulated meters from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), resulting in a significant financial loss for the company.
The incident involves Wisdom Sewlorm, an agent who obtained ECG meters for installation. His employee, Ernest Afatsawu, interfered with the meters and sold them to a Chinese plastic manufacturing firm for GH₵1,200. Rulian Shan, the manager of the Chinese firm, and his sales manager, Ali Yakubu, were apprehended on Friday, August 2. Ernest and Wisdom are currently under investigation following their summons.
The ECG has estimated the financial damage to be over GH₵77,000 for the period between July and August. Paul Abariga, the Director responsible for Investigation, Prosecution, and Security, confirmed that the four individuals will be brought to court on Wednesday. The ECG contractor’s contract will also be terminated.
“There are meters that are being installed in many parts of our operational area, and there have been some investigations reported to this directorate that some of the meters that are being installed are tampered with before they are installed. So we undertook investigations, and we’ve come to realise that the intel that we’ve gathered, and the reports given to us are certainly true,” said Abariga.
The tampered meters were found to be used in a factory manufacturing plastic bowls at Oblogo near Weija, which was supposed to be for residential use. The ECG aims to conclude its investigations swiftly to present the case in court.