Accra, Feb. 9, GNA - Four people were on Thursday night arrested by a joint task force of the Ghana Water Company (GWCL) and the East Legon Police for siphoning water illegally.

Kwabena Boakye, 42, Akuamoah Boateng, 30, Dzorbor Seidu, 25 and Charles Bentum, 40, were arrested by the police in the act of selling water from tanks in a truck and for illegally connecting water into underground tanks and selling it for commercial purposes. A Kia Trade truck with registration number GT 5525 Q and two water tanks were seized and are in the custody of the police. Mr John a Sekyi, Chief Inspector of the East Legon Police Station, said they acted upon a call by Mr Francis Lamptey, Head of the Task Force of the GWCL, to clamp down on the activities of these operators. He said he had received numerous complaints from the East Legon Residents Association on the frequent shortage of water due to such acts.

Mr Kenneth Ennin, Commercial Manager of the Accra East Region of the GWCL, said: "These men bypass the main meters. Some of them deliberately destroy the meters thereby making so much water unbilled and uncounted for."

He further advised water vendors around the North-East District of the GWCL, especially those around Madina, Adenta and Adjirigano environs, to report to the Accra East Regional Office to have their activities regularized.

Mr Appiah Dadson, Pubic Relations Officer of the Accra East Region, cautioned staff of the GWCL not to be involved in the illegal connections for such people, saying the company would not hesitate to make any staff face the full rigors of the law, should he or she be caught.

The Accra East Regional Task Force of the GWCL as part of its routine disconnection exercise, last Tuesday disconnected households that had illegally connected water to their homes at Nima.

Under Legislative Instrument (LI) 1597, Water Charges Regulation 1995, it is illegal for any person to make any connections to any installation for the supply of water or tamper with any installation for the supply of water contrary to the authorization of the GWCL. Any person who does that commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 500,000 cedis or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both.