Sunyani (B/A), July 6, GNA- The Brong-Ahafo regional office of Ghana Telecom is to reward five groups and an informant with a cash amount of 55 million cedis for helping to arrest five cable thieves in the Sunyani municipality.

Mr. Maxwell Owusu-Banson, Regional Manager, told the Ghana News Agency that the five groups would receive 10 million cedis each, while the informant would take home five million cedis. He said the reward was in fulfillment of the company's promise to the general public to reward informants' of cable thieves. The regional manager said the perpetrators had been arraigned before the magistrate court at Fiapre, near Sunyani and had been remanded awaiting judgment.

Mr. Owusu-Banson expressed concern about the alarming rate of cable stealing in the municipality, which he said had caused the company to lose billions of cedis.

He mentioned New-Dormaa, Atronie, Abesim, Odumase, Penkwasi, Fiapre and Baakoniaba as areas where most of the cables had been stolen. Mr. Owusu-Banson said the activities of the perpetrators, apart from the monetary loss were also denying the affected communities the services the company was supposed to render.

He appealed to assembly members and other opinion leaders to encourage their communities to form watchdog committees to help clamp down on the economic saboteurs.

"By this you can use the 10 million cedis reward to develop your electoral areas", he added.

Mr. Owusu-Banson said the company was doing its best to replace the stolen cables to ensure effective communication.