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A middle-aged woman has been arrested by the Prosecution and Revenue Protection Units of the Power Distribution Services (PDS) in the Ashanti region for engaging in the illegal sale of meters in Kumasi.
The woman has been named as Aisha Abubakar, aged 39.
Two others, Tampoli Bako, 37, and Paul Asolo, 29 have also been named as accomplices as police search for Osman Abubakar, who is currently on the run.
Confirning the arrest to Dailymailgh.com, Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of PDS, Mr Erasmus Kyere Baidoo, explained that officials of the prosecution unit followed up on a tip-off that one person was illegally selling some devices suspected to be meters.
They then feigned interest to buy the meters from Tampoli Bako and the team arrested him when he turned up at a location in the Kumasi metropolis.
Upon interrogation, the suspect led the team to his supplier, Paul Asolo who also took the team to the residence of Aisha Abubakar.
A total of 13 ECG branded meters were retrieved after PDS officials conducted a search at the residence of Aisha Abubakar where she sold for Ghc 250 each.
Mr Baidoo was unhappy over the increasing cases of illegal sale of meters in the region despite continuous sensitization of the public to desist from engaging in such activities.
“This has been going on for a very long time in this region and perhaps elsewhere too. We have started some exercise, capturing some of these meters, but the irony of it is that, as soon as we capture a particular area, the next time we come round, those areas have been flooded with meters. It is an unending exercise. And everywhere this thing is ongoing,” he said.
He indicated that the installations of such illegal meters are not captured in the company’s database and it is difficult to bill users of those meters at the end of the month.
The situation, he added, affects the company in terms of commercial losses.
According to him, the PDS is currently battling with 15% in commercial loss to such activities.
He cautioned persons behind the distribution of such meters to stop.
He called on the police and the judiciary to arrest and give hefty sentences to the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.
Meanwhile, the three have since been detained and would soon be araigned.
Source: Daily Mail GH