POLICE CHARGE POWER THEFT SUSPECT
Police have charged suspect Gilbert Kofi Abraham with theft of property, economic sabotage and fraud on internal revenue of Liberia following a probe into an alleged power theft complaint filed by the Liberia Electricity Corporation or LEC.
His alleged act of power theft is said to have caused fraud on government’s internal revenue in the tune of US$250,000 in violation of the New Penal Law of Liberia based on the LEC and its lawyer Cllr. Swahilo A. Sesay.
According to the police charged sheet, defendant Abraham was arrested on Tuesday, 23 January following tip off against that he had been posting as LEC employee and manager who was responsible to issue meter to LEC customers within Paynesville.
LEC’s lawyer Cllr. Sesay had complained that while the corporation’s anti- power theft squad team which comprises technicians and police officers was on its normal routine in Du-port Road, Cow Field Community, the team received a tip off on the suspect Abraham’s alleged activities.
According to Cllr. Sesay, the LEC team was informed that defendant Abraham was in possession of several LEC meters and electrical wires which are to be installed for some of his customers in the Paynesville area.
Based upon the information, Cllr. Sesay said the LEC team went to defendant Abraham’s residence and allegedly observed several meters on the LEC pole inside the compound of defendant Abraham’s father’s house.
Defendant Abraham is alleged to have had several bypassed meters which were disconnected and removed from the poles. During the operation, the accused allegedly hide himself inside his room where officers of the Emergency Response Unit or ERU and the Police Support Unit or PSU allegedly arrested him along with LEC climbing set.
During police investigation with defendant Abrahama at the Crime Services Division or CSD, the accused allegedly narrated that he used LEC current “as his only source of current” since 2013.
Police said defendant Abraham boasted that he had all legal and relevant document to prove that the LEC current that he had been using at his father’s compound was legal and lawful on grounds that he went through all necessary processes required by the corporation. He has been sent to court to face prosecution.
By Winston W. Parley
