Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 29 June 2024

Source: GNA

Four in court over stolen ECG cables valued at GH¢95,000

File photo File photo

Two individuals accused of stealing Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) cables, valued at GH¢95,000, have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Lucky Grayson Eseche, a 34-year-old trader, and Obi Innocent, a 37-year-old businessman, face charges of theft.

Also standing trial are Esther Sebi, a sales manageress, and Malvin Kwame Tamakloe, a 22-year-old sales attendant. All four accused persons are charged with conspiracy to commit the crime of stealing.

They pleaded not guilty before the court, which is presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah. The court granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of GH¢100,000 each, with one surety each.

Eseche and Innocent, both Nigerians, were ordered by the court to deposit their travel documents with the court registry. The matter has been adjourned to July 7, 2024.

The prosecution informed the court that the complainants, two police officers attached to the ECG Accra East Office, reported to work on June 21, 2024, at about 6:45 am and discovered that ECG cables worth GH¢95,000 had been stolen. That same day, the complainants received intelligence that a shop in Tema Community One was selling ECG cables.

Investigations revealed that the shop was owned by Innocent.

The complainants went to the location and found Eseche attempting to conceal the identity of the cables by spraying over the ECG inscription on the cable drums.

Eseche was arrested, and a team of police officers conducted a search of the shop.

During the investigation, Eseche identified Innocent as the owner of the cable drums and provided Innocent's phone number.

Innocent was summoned to the ECG office and was arrested upon arrival. The prosecution also stated that Sebi and Tamakloe, who had been selling the ECG cables on behalf of Innocent, were arrested on the same day.

Upon interrogation, the four accused persons confessed to the crime and named one individual, known as Lord, as the person who sold the cables to them.