An Accra Circuit Court granted bail of GH20,000 with one surety to three unemployed young men for allegedly participating in illegal power connection.

Ismail Fahad, 18, Mawuli Oscar, 22, and Moses Teye, 18, were dragged before the court after they were caught utilizing electricity in their chamber and hall flat in Abavana Down, an Accra suburb, that had not been transmitted through the house’s electric meter.

They have been charged with five counts of stealing, conspiracy to threaten harm, conspiracy to intentionally interfere with or knowingly allow interference with the supplier’s distribution system, meters, or any equipment, threat of harm, and intentionally interferes with or knowingly allows interference with the supplier’s distribution system, meters, or any equipment.

Ismail Fahad is also facing an assault accusation. The accused pled not guilty to all allegations, and the court, presided over by His Honour Bright Samuel Acquah, granted them bail of GH20,000 with one surety each, with the condition that they have a permanent place of habitation and do business within the court’s jurisdiction.

According to the facts stated by the prosecutor, Emmanuel Acheampong, a staff member of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and the accused people are friends who live together in a room and hall flat at Abavana Down in Accra.

He informed the court that on August 15, 2022, the complainant accompanied a team of ECG specialists to Abavana Down on a routine visit and went to the accused people’ flat to examine their electric meter.

The lawyer stated that the team discovered that the electricity utilized by the accused people was not passing through the metre and that the power was disconnected in their presence. He went on to say that the ECG team saw that the accused’s air conditioner was still running even though their meter had been unplugged.

Mr. Abariga informed the court that as the complainant was preparing to issue summonses to the accused individuals to appear at the ECG office, the accused persons grew enraged and attacked the ECG crew, demanding that they restore their electricity.

According to the circumstances, the accused followed the ECG team, took their instruments, and threatened to hurt the ECG crew with the tools in their possession. It appears that other neighbors interfered and separated them, but Ismail Fahad was not happy and proceeded to attack the complaint.

The complainant subsequently reported the incident to the Kotobabi Police Station, where he was given a medical form and told to go to the hospital so that required action could be done. On August 17, 2022, the suspects were detained, and the matter was later sent to the ECG investigative team for further action.

Mr. Abariga told the court that the accused accepted the wrongdoing in their individual caution statements and further indicated that they entered the flat around four months ago and have not purchased power credit since.

The case has been rescheduled until August 27, 2022, for the accused to reappear in court.