Suhum: The Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District Court has granted bail to a 20-year-old okada rider, Evans Adanu, for allegedly vandalising an electricity transformer belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana. The accused pleaded not guilty to four charges, including conspiracy to interfere with the distribution system of ECG, interference with ECG's distribution system, attempted stealing, and causing unlawful damage. The court admitted him to bail in the sum of GHS50,000.00 with two sureties, one to be justified.
According to Ghana News Agency, Inspector Joseph Oteng, the Prosecutor, stated that the court, on March 10, 2026, received information from the Electricity Company of Ghana that a 100kV pole-mounted transformer serving the Otoase community had been pushed down, resulting in a power outage in the area. A team of ECG technicians who visited the scene confirmed that the transformer had been deliberately dislodged from its pole.
The prosecution reported that the following day, a resident of Otoase-Owusuakuraa informed the Police that at about 2230 hours, while on patrol, he heard unusual noises near the scene of the incident. Suspecting foul play, the resident fired a warning shot, causing four young men at the scene to flee into a nearby bush. With the assistance of other residents, the complainant pursued the suspects and managed to arrest the accused, while the others escaped.
The court heard that the accused failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for his presence at the scene and was subsequently handed over to the police at Coaltar. During investigations, the accused allegedly admitted to acting together with three accomplices to remove and push down the transformer. Police stated that efforts were underway to arrest the other suspects currently at large.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sariel A. Etwire, General Manager of ECG Accra West Region, commended residents of the community for their vigilance in assisting to apprehend the suspect. He expressed concern over increasing cases of vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure, noting that such acts disrupt power supply and impose significant financial losses on the company. He urged the public to remain alert and report suspicious activities to help safeguard critical national infrastructure. The case has been adjourned to April 28, 2026.