The Tarkwa Circuit Court presided over by Judge Hathia Ama Manoah remanded a thirty four year old man into police custody following his arrest for the alleged theft of power equipment. According to reportage from the Ghana News Agency the suspect identified as Abdulai Abubakari faces charges related to the theft of copper cables and essential internal components from transformers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana.
A statement from the Ghana News Agency indicates that the suspect was apprehended by local residents in the early hours of the morning near a disconnected transformer. Witnesses according to local news reports claimed they found the suspect with various tools and stripped copper wire in his possession at the time of the encounter. The Electricity Company of Ghana expressed concerns regarding the rising trend of infrastructure vandalism which causes significant power outages and financial losses to the state.
Court proceedings detailed in Graphic Online reports specify that the suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the police prosecution. The prosecution requested more time to conclude investigations and to track down potential accomplices who may be involved in the sale of the stolen materials on the scrap metal market. The court granted the request for remand to ensure the suspect remains available for further questioning.
Safety officials from the Electricity Company of Ghana told Citi Newsroom that the destruction of transformers poses a significant risk of electrocution to both the perpetrators and the general public. The case remains under active investigation by the Tarkwa Divisional Police Command with a follow up court date set for later in the month. The suspect will remain in police custody until the next legal hearing according to the official court record.