The Electricity Company of Ghana has commenced legal proceedings against four factory operators within the Tema Industrial Enclave following an intensive monitoring exercise. According to a Ghana News Agency report, the utility provider discovered that the suspects allegedly bypassed revenue meters to understate actual energy consumption. Officials from the ECG Revenue Protection Division stated that the illegal configurations resulted in the loss of several million Ghana Cedis in revenue over several months.
Investigation teams conducted site visits across the industrial zone where they identified sophisticated bypass mechanisms. A Citi Newsroom report indicates that the technicians found direct connections that allowed the factories to run heavy machinery without the electricity passing through the primary metering systems. The ECG has since disconnected the affected facilities and issued demand notices for the estimated power consumed during the period of the alleged theft.
The utility provider is collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to process the suspects for court. A Daily Graphic report notes that the company intends to prosecute the individuals under the Electricity Supply and Distribution Rule 2005. The management of ECG stated that these activities undermine the financial stability of the energy sector and contribute to distribution losses that affect all consumers across the national grid.
Legal representatives for the utility company are currently filing formal charges at the Tema High Court. While the specific identities of the factory owners remain under wraps pending their first court appearance, the ECG has clarified that these actions are part of a broader national campaign to recover unpaid debts and curb power theft. The suspects are presumed innocent until a court of competent jurisdiction determines otherwise regarding the alleged illegalities.