A joint operation by the Western Regional Office of the National Security and other stakeholders has led to the discovery of a substantial stockpile of electrical materials in an uncompleted building at Kansawurodo, a suburb of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.
The operation, conducted over the weekend, recovered several valuable electrical items suspected to belong to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The items included 46 cable drums, electrical switches, metres, metre cases, iron angle bars, and other critical components.
According to Hashim Torkonu, a National Security operative who led the team, two individuals have been picked up for questioning, and investigations are ongoing to determine the origin of the stockpile and legitimacy of ownership.
“The stocks here are different from the ones we uncovered in a private residence. That one has been owned by a contractor. The only problem we have with him is how those items got into his private residence. And secondly, what he told us was not the actual list he told us, so we are in the formative period of the investigation,” Torkonu explained.
He added that the regional security coordinator will consult with Accra for further instructions, as nobody has claimed ownership of the seized items. “The regional security coordinator is going to call Accra immediately and take instructions from them on what they need to do. As of now, nobody has owned up to this. We have spoken to the residents as well; they seem not to know the owner of the goods.”
One of the suspects, Evans Lartey, claimed to be a certified ECG contractor and metre supplier with an existing contract with the company. “I am a metre supplier, so if the ECG needs metres, they contact the metre suppliers for the suppliers to produce the cable for them. I have a contract with the ECG,” Lartey stated.
The ECG has yet to officially comment on the matter, as authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the stockpile. The seized items have been secured by the authorities, pending further investigations.