The Loss Control Unit of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Monday said it had "unravelled a serious illegal connection at the premises of Bilfinger and Berger Construction firm" during a special exercise mounted by it at Ho and its surrounding villages.

"An examination conducted on their three-phase meter revealed that the meter had been tampered with" a statement issued in Accra and signed by Gloria Dua-Sakyi, Public Relations Manager of ECG said.

"After the discovery ECG granted Bilfinger and Berger Construction a day's grace to meet ECG officials but officials of Bilfinger and Berger refused to honour the appointment. Following this development disconnection was then effected.”

"Officials of Bilfinger and Berger, who did not take kindly to the disconnection reacted by digging a trench in front of ECG's regional office at Ho, making access to ECG's Regional Office impossible.

"The Volta Regional Director of ECG, Mr Daniel Azu then made a formal complaint to the Regional Director, Ghana Highway Authority, who took up the matter and explained ECG's position to Bilfinger and Berger.

"Officials of Bilfinger and Berger agreed to get in touch with ECG officials at Ho after ECG's position was explained to them", the statement said.

"True to their words, an official of Bilfinger and Berger from their Head Office was in Ho to plead for leniency and reduction in the bill."

Bilfinger and Berger have since filled up the trench in front of the ECG Office in Ho. The plea was, however, not granted. The premises of Bilfinger and Berger still remained disconnected.

When the Ghana News Agency contacted Bilfinger and Berger, in Accra, Mr Dieter Schreiber, Commercial Director, denied that they had tampered with the meter.

"How can a company like us manipulate a meter? For what purpose?" He said if there had been any manipulation at all then it might have been before the company took over the rented premises as its office.

Mr Schreiber explained that the three-phase meter was disconnected because ECG said the company had outstanding bills to settle. He said the company then sent copies of receipts to ECG at Ho after, which power was restored, but then only one phase was functioning.

The company then reported the problem to the ECG, which sent another technician to rectify the anomaly. Mr Schreiber said a few days later a team from ECG arrived at the company's premises and disconnected power supply with the reason that their meter had been tampered with.

He said ECG later asked Bilfinger and Berger to pay four million cedis for the restoration of power, which the company refused since they had not tampered with the meter.

On the trench dug in front of the offices of the ECG Regional Office, the Commercial Director said it was done as a prelude to the asphalting of the Ho township roads and that it was normal. He said there was no way the company could dig trenches just to inconvenience people.