Friday, 12th August, 2022

Page 6
DAILY ANALYST Friday, 12th August, 2022
ECG drags two to court
for interfering with
distribution systems
Electricity Company of
Ghana (ECG) has
dragged two persons
before an Accra Circuit
Court for interfering
with the company’s supplier’s
distribution systems and meters.
Daniel Abban, a 56-year-old
Electrical Engineer, and Henry
Teye Adjirackor, a 48-year-old
Electrical Technician, have been
charged with conspiracy to steal,
stealing, intentionally interfering
with the Distribution system or
meter.
Adjirackor who was
additionally charged with
intentionally interfering or
knowingly allowing interference
with suppliers Distribution
system, pleaded guilty.
Adjirackor however denied
the three other charges and he
was admitted to bail in the sum
of GHS20,000 with one surety.
The court presided over
by Mr Bright Samuel Acquah
convicted Adjirackor on his
own plea on the fourth count
The Ghana Private Road
Transport Union (GPR-
TU) has announced
its decision to roll out
a mandatory vehicle
towing system, effective October
2022.
Chairman of GPRTU Mohammed
Abass told Nyanakontotn
Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio
87.5Fm that the towing system
is to ensure the quick removal of
faulty vehicles from roads.
He noted that the new towing
system is in partnership with the
Road Safety Management Service
Limited (RSMSL).
The contractual agreement
between the GPRTU and RSMSL,
he explained requires vehicle
owners to pay annual subscription
fees depending on the type
of intentionally interfering or
knowingly allowing interference
with suppliers Distribution
system.
The court sentenced
Adjirackor to a fine of GHC5,400
cedis in default, serve 18 months
imprisonment.
The court issued a bench
warrant for the arrest of Abban
who failed to appear in court.
The matter has been
adjourned to August 27.
Earlier Mr Lambert Keriba,
counsel for Adjirackor, prayed
for bail and asked the plea of
his client be retaken as he (the
accused) sounded jittery and
confused.
Mr Paul A Abarigah, who
represented ECG, said the
complainant in the case is as
a staff of the company accused
persons claimed to be working
with Electro-Meters.
He said during the month of
June this year, the complainant
together with staff from Korle-Bu
District on their normal exercise
GPRTU to rollout
mandatory vehicle
towing system
starting October 2022
of vehicle.
He noted that Taxis would
pay, GH¢50; “Trotros”, GH¢80;
long buses, GH¢300; and foreign
trucks, GH¢1000.
He explained that when the
system was first introduced, authorities
wanted to impose it on
them, but after deliberations, it
was suspended, and the system,
was refined, and stakeholders
agreed on the modalities through
a PPP agreement.
He indicated that drivers will
have to subscribe to an online application
that has been developed
to effectively deliver the service.
He concluded that the system
is subject to parliamentary
approval before the implementation
can begin.
to check on illegal connection
and non-function meters,
detected that some meters used
by customers were stolen meters.
Counsel for ECG told the
Court that users of the “stolen”
meters were disconnected and
they were asked to come to report
at the ECG office.
In the process, prosecution
said the accused persons names
were mentioned as those who
supplied them.
According to the users of the
meters, the meters were sold
between GHS650 and GHS700.
Accused were identified and
they were picked up by the Police
The Ministry of Transport
has reiterated its
commitment to ensure
that the Ghana’s civil
aviation is not used for
human trafficking and its related
activities.
It said it would continue
to deepen collaboration with
relevant stakeholders to pursue
strategies to ensure that human
trafficking was curbed.
Dr Frederick Adom Obeng,
a Deputy Minister of Transport
said this at the opening ceremony
of a capacity building training
and sensitisation forum for
aviation staff in Accra.
Human trafficking involves
the recruitment, transportation,
transfer, harbouring, trading or
receipt of persons for the purpose
of exploitation, including prostitution,
servitude and removal of
organs, within and across national
borders.
People are trafficked by the
use of threat, other forms of coercion,
abduction, fraud, deception,
abuse of power and unknowingly.
Mr Obeng said safety and
security were the backbone of
the aviation industry, however,
human trafficking was one of the
gravest problems affecting migration
and human rights with
detrimental effects on national
security.
and in their caution statement
they admitted the offence.
The Prosecution said the
accused persons indicated that
the meters were sold after they
had been disposed of by the Tema
Regional office to scrap dealers at
Agbogbloshie.
Prosecution said
investigations revealed that the
He noted that the aviation industry
was one of the transportation
routes used by trans-national
criminal immigrants whose
activities included trafficking
and other kinds of illegal trade
such as smuggling.
The Deputy Minister said
cases of trafficking were reported
on daily basis around the globe
and data available consistently
showed that women and children
were the most affected.
Hence, he called for steps to
be taken to implement measures
to combat trafficking, protect
the safety and security of the
aviation industry with the focus
of safeguarding women and
children.
Mr Obeng said the industry
provided the only rapid worldwide
transportation network
essential for global business, and
supported economic growth, created
jobs and facilitated international
trade and tourism.
The Deputy Minister said the
Ministry’s vision was to make
the country the aviation hub
within West Africa sub-region to
open the country up to improve
air connectivity, boost trade and
tourism.
“We would see that last week,
President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akuffo Addo commissioned the
Sunyani Airport. We would also
original meter numbers were
“covered” by another number,
and they used the new number in
purchasing credit.
Additionally, prosecution
said in some instances, they used
the details of the new number
to activate them for respective
customers.
Civil aviation not to be used to
enhance human trafficking
note that the Kumasi Airport and
the Tamale Airport are all being
labelled as international standards,”
he said.
The Ministry, Mr Obeng said,
in collaboration with the GCAA
made tremendous strides in
ensuring proper regulation of the
sector to maintain high aviation
safety and security standards
in line with International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
standards.
“We’re committed to the
provision of the needed support
and facilitate an enabling
environment for fighting human
trafficking,” Mr Obeng said.
Assistant Commissioner of
Immigration Edith Penelope Arhin,
Commander of Kotoka International
Airport, said the Service
was the first point of contact for
entry and exit of persons and also
one of the key stakeholders in
combating human trafficking in
the country.
“Our mandate as a Service of
facilitating legitimate travel and
protecting human rights makes
curbing trafficking in persons a
paramount undertaking for us as
a law enforcement agency,” she
said.
The Commander said human
trafficking and smuggling were
interlinked, since it usually morphed
into human smuggling.
She said the Service established
the Anti-Human Smuggling
and Trafficking in Persons
(AHSTIP) Unit to contribute to
the fight against the menace.
Madam Arhin said it also provided
protection and assistance
to victims of human trafficking
by giving them shelter whiles
investigations were ongoing and
ensured that their rights were
fully respected.
She called on agencies to collaborate
effectively and partner
international, Governmental and
Non-Governmental Organisations
and support joint investigations
into trafficking crimes to
eradicate it.