Former PDS contractor arrested for illegal reconnection

A 42-year-old man is in the grip of the police for illegally reconnecting defaulting customers of the Power Distribution Services (PDS).

The suspect, Bright Kofi Bansah, alias Coffee, a former Farming Out contractor of the PDS, whose licence was revoked by the company for a similar offence, was spotted by PDS officials reconnecting customers from an electric pole during a monitoring exercise at Agorkpo in Sogakope.

Disconnection

The customers had been disconnected for non-payment of bills on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 during a mass disconnection exercise by officials of the PDS.

While he was a Farming Out contractor, Bansah undertook activities such as meter installation for customers on behalf of the PDS.

He was arrested by the Tongu Divisional Police on Friday, October 11, 2019 at Sogakope and placed in custody after admitting to the offence.

The Divisional Commander, Chief Supt. Dennis Fiakpui, said Bansah was in police custody and would be processed for court tomorrow, Wednesday, October, 16.

A Farming Out contractor is a third party contractor who undertakes activities like meter installation for customers on behalf of PDS.

High debtors

The PDS Volta Regional Revenue Protection Manager, Mr William Addy, told journalists that the company undertook a mass disconnection exercise in the Sogakope District targeting high debtors.

He said the exercise was also to maximise revenue generation by the company.

The Regional Commercial Manager, Mr S. Abrefa Besea, warned the general public to desist from unlawful entry into the PDS networks and engaging in illegal connections, since those actions were criminal offences and punishable by law.