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The Tema Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has initiated an investigation into an alleged illegal power connection by a poultry farmer to his farm at Hwakpo in the Ada West District.

Mr Emmanuel Akinie, General Manager, ECG-Tema Regional Office, told the media that the Regional Engineer received a call from an informant disclosing the possibility of an illegal connection at a poultry farm structure at Hwakpo in July 26, 2021.

Mr Akinie said a visit to the place by the Revenue Protection Team revealed that power had been connected from a nearby house to a poultry farm structure which was not in operation.

He said the cables used, which were substandard were removed and sent to the Tema Regional Office and the poultry farmer served with a notice of unauthorized service connection and asked to report to the Revenue Protection Unit at the Tema Regional Office for further action.

He explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the connection passed through the meter, meaning it was not an act of illegal connection, but an act of Unauthorized Service Connection - tapping power from one house to another.

Mr Akinie explained that each house must have its own meter and therefore a potential crime had been committed.

He added that after investigations, if found culpable, the culprit would be sanctioned and surcharged, while the informant would receive six percent of the surcharged amount as a reward in accordance with the Company’s policy on whistleblowing.

Meanwhile, the ECG has denied reports alleging that the company had handed over an illegal connection whistleblower to the police for prosecution at Hwakpo in the Ada West District.

He gave the assurance that the ECG took issues of whistleblowers seriously, and therefore goes to all extents to protect their identities stressing that, “the Company does not give out the identity of whistleblowers to any third party, including the Police.

“ECG Staff are seriously cautioned against such acts, and are reminded to work with utmost confidentiality regarding the identity of whistleblowers”.

He said ECG was not aware of any illegal connection whistleblower from Hwakpo, and “the company has not handed over to the police any whistleblower”.