Seven of the 10 workers of the Akim Oda Branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) who allegedly stole an unspecified quantity of electric cables belonging to their employers, have been remanded in prison custody by the Akim Swedru Circuit court in the Eastern Region.
The suspects are Ibrahim Bashiru, a 28 year-old electrical technician, Augustine Abban, 30-year-old Senior electrical technician, Alhassan Sulemana 39-year-old linesman, Eric Nyakpo, 43, driver, Christopher Kweitey 34,
linesman, Charles Ahiavi 36, linesman and Isaac Tetteh Kumah 57, driver.
The trial Judge, Mr Kofi Akkrowiah, refused to take the pleas of the seven accused persons who were charged with stealing.
Samuel Amponsah 40, driver and Maxwell Mensah 42, Senior Electrical Technician, charged with conspiracy to commit crime, were admitted to bail in the sum of GH�10,000 for their ill health.
All the nine accused persons would appear again on June 15, 2010, while an accomplice, Reanold Boamah, lnesman is on the run.
Presenting the fact of the case, Police Chief Inspector Kwadwo Ahinkorah told the court that the complainant is the Oda Divisional
Taskforce Commander, while the accused are workers from the Akim Oda branch of the ECG and a scrap dealer.
Chief Inspector Ahinkorah said the police had reports of constant power outages and stealing of electric cables in many area, so the Oda Divisional Commander of Police set up a surveillance team which received information on
May 30, this year that some workers of the Oda ECG were selling various specifications of copper cables to some scrap dealers at CMB-Kyeme Poku, a
suburb of Akim Oda.
According to him, a swoop by the police at the premises of scrap dealers led to the discovery of five coils of electric copper cables, hence Abban and Sulemana both lines staff were arrested.
He said Abban and Sulemana who were rounded up for interrogations led to the arrest of seven workers of the Akim Oda ECG, Raynold Boamah managed to abscond.