The Tema Magistrate Court presided over by Her Worship Dr. Anne Kyereh has sentenced a laborer named Isaac Tetteh to twenty four months in prison with hard labor. The Ghana News Agency reports that the twenty four year old defendant pleaded guilty to four counts including causing unlawful damage and stealing electrical cables.
According to the prosecution led by Inspector Beatrice Boateng as reported by GhanaWeb the incident occurred on January 29 2024 at Tema Community Nine. Security guards spotted the convict digging up underground copper cables near a secondary substation. The Electricity Company of Ghana revealed that the stolen materials were valued at approximately twenty thousand Ghana Cedis.
Modern Ghana reports that the security team apprehended the suspect while he was attempting to cut the live cables. The prosecution stated that the actions of the convict caused a significant power outage in parts of the Tema metropolis during the period of the theft. The court also ordered the convict to pay for the cost of the damaged infrastructure in addition to the custodial sentence.
The Electricity Company of Ghana public relations officer for the Tema Region Sakyiwaa Mensah stated in a press briefing that cable theft remains a major challenge for the utility provider. The official release noted that the company is collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to increase surveillance around key installations. This verdict serves as a deterrent to others involved in the vandalism of public utility equipment according to the Ghana News Agency report.