Felix Azumah, 40, unemployed, has been arrested for allegedly posing as a staff member of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and extorting money from customers.
The suspect, who is believed to have also defrauded ECG customers at Atta Kofi and Akum, in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, was grabbed after residents lodged a complaint at the Amanfrom police station.
The Public Relations Officer of the ECG in charge of the Volta Region, Mr. Benjamin Obeng Antwi, confirmed the story to the Ghanaian Times in Ho yesterday.
He said the suspect posed as a Revenue Collection and Disconnection Officer of ECG, and extorted money from customers, who could not produce receipts of recent payment of ECG bills.
According to MrAntwi, the suspect,residentof Breweniase,“ movedfrom house to house telling residents that he works with ECG and has been tasked by the company to disconnect illegal electricity connections to customers.”
He said the suspect routinely disconnect illegal power supply to people and collect money from them.
The PRO said “MrAzumah also took money from some people and promised to help them acquire meters, but the meters never came and some residents became suspicious of him when they demanded to see his identification, which proved futile.”
Mr. Antwi said luck eluded Azumah and he was arrested by the police at Amanfrom, put before court and granted GH10, 000 bail with one surety.
MrAntwi urged the public to be weary of people,who claimed they were ECG officials and report such characters to the police.
He commended the residents for their vigilance and asked customers to always verify the identity of ECG officials who might transact business with them.