The Weija Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Joshua Caleb Abaidoo, has remanded a 24-year-old unemployed man, Michael Ofori, popularly known as “Sammy,” into prison custody for theft and causing unlawful damage to property belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
Ofori is accused of stealing and damaging fuses installed in electricity distribution panels, with the stolen items valued at GH¢15,840.
He has been charged with two counts: causing unlawful damage and stealing. Ofori pleaded guilty to causing unlawful damage but denied the charge of theft.
The court has adjourned the case, and the accused is scheduled to reappear on November 27, 2024.
The prosecution, led by Police Inspector Joseph Barabu, told the Court that on the 15th of November 2024, at about 5:00am, the complainant in the case, Mohammed Ibrahim, spotted the accused person within the fence of ECG’s transformer and distribution panel at Ayigbe Town, allegedly removing fuses from the panel with a plier.
The accused, according to the prosecution, narrowly escaped from the scene upon seeing the complainant, leaving behind his booty and tools used for the operation.
The complainant called the ECG office at Bortianor to alert them of the incident and handed over the items to them.
The prosecution continued that the Complainant chanced on the accused person the following day and instigated his immediate arrest.
The accused was sent to the New Weija police station, where he was rearrested and interrogated.
Upon interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to removing twelve (12) fuses from the distribution panel.
The accused person also led police to other ECG installations in the area where he had previously broken the locks and stolen unspecified number of fuses, allegedly.
The Court heard that for some time now, the police at SCC, Weija had received several reports of thefts of prepaid meters, and fuses in electricity distribution panels, belonging to ECG.
