Ho — The Ho Circuit Court has jailed two of three suspects arrested by the Volta Regional Police Command for attempting to destroy and steal a transformer at Adaklu Tsrefe, in the Volta Region.
The convicts, SitsofeAgbodza, 26, and Deladem Kodzo Tsrakasu, 29, were sentenced to five years imprisonment each by the Circuit Court.
They both pleaded guilty to stealing and attempting to destroy public property when they appeared before the court presided by Mr Joseph Nadaado Mac-Ali Junior.
The third suspect, Abdul Wahab Seydou, a 20-year-old plumber, had his sentence deferred to next three weeks.
According to the court, Wahab was below 21 years old and a first time offender, and there was the need to conduct and submit a social enquiry report on the suspect before pronouncing judgement on him.
The trio were apprehended by residents of Adaklu Tsrefeand handed over to the police for allegedly vandalising ECG transformer and stealing valuable components from the equipment, according to the Volta Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ECG, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, who briefed the Ghanaian Times after court proceedings.
Commenting on the development, the Volta Region Manager of the ECG, Ms Christina Jatoe- Kaleo, urged the public to be vigilant and help protect ECG installations in their communities.
She cautioned the public that the company would not hesitate to prosecute individuals who would be caught destroying and stealing ECG equipment.
Ms Jatoe-Kaleo, however, commended residents of Adaklu Tsrefe for their vigilance and patriotism and the police for their swift intervention.
"As a company, we are committed to providing quality, reliable and safe electricity services for our customers,"she said.
Ms Jatoe-Kaleo lamented that activities of these individuals prevent the ECG from delivering its core mandate.
She said "once a transformer is vandalised or stolen, power supply will be curtailed to customers and this will affect businesses, schools and even hospitals so we humbly appeal to the general public to assist us curb this menace."
