N/R: Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Cables For Rural Electrification Project

The foreman of a contractor working on a rural electrification project in Bimbilla in the Northern Region is the grips of the Police for allegedly stealing cables meant for the project.

He was arrested with a local blacksmith at his shop after he went there to sell the cables.

Residents who informed the police say the practice has been going on for some time now.

The contractor is working to extend electricity to Bandiyili, Gunguni and Sakpe; all in the Nanumba South District.

According to the blacksmith, the foreman had come to him for money promising that he will later bring some goods to him. Later on, when brought the merchandise [cables] – the police officers came and apprehended him.

“He is a friend. We have been working together for some time now. He came to me that he needed some money to buy diesel and that he will bring me some goods. He brought the cables and later the police followed to arrest him and invited me to also assist in investigations.”

But the police said, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Bimbilla, Abdulai Yaqoub called that the suspect be released.

When Citi News contacted the MCE, he said, it was the Member of Parliament, Thomas Donkor Ogaaja, who asked for the release of the suspect.

The police have said they are preparing the suspect for court on Monday but are however worried about the pressure from the politicians in the area.

They indicated that these are some of the challenges they face in the area anytime such criminals are arrested; complaining bitterly about the political interference which affects their work.

They have demanded that the contractor should immediately finish up with the project in their community.

“We are telling the contractor that we will not allow him to pick any material again from here. We are demanding that the work in our community should be done before. The contractor abandoned the extension to our community for almost a year now. He has been picking the material from here saying he is working elsewhere not knowing he is selling them. We will no longer allow him to pick the cables again. We all voted and he must finish our before first since some of the materials are here”, a resident said.

—citinewsroom