AEDC: Electricity theft Information Booklet will aid investigation, prosecution of power related offences
NAN-HE-15
Electricity
Abuja, May 3, 2017 (NAN) The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) says the provision of an Electricity Theft Information Booklet will help guide the special team of investigators and prosecution of electricity relation offences .
The Managing Director of AEDC, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, disclosed this at the inauguration of a special task force team set up by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation .
The task force has the mandate to deal with electricity theft in AEDCs’ franchise area.
Mupwaya said “ as an immediate measure, we have produced, in conjunction with our Consultants, Tetratech – an Electricity Theft Information Booklet./”
It will guide the investigators and prosecutors in their activities.“
Mupwaya said that the losses caused by the electricity related offences were resulting in distortions of significant magnitude to the company.
This, he said, had made the DisCOs not to properly account for the energy allocated to them due to electricity theft, through illegal connections, meter tampering and vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
He also said that the offences were resulting into the insufficient payments received by the DisCos, Transmission Company (TCN) and the gas suppliers.
Mupwaya said it was important to address the issue of electricity theft, given its significant effect to the transformation of the electricity industry in the country.
According to him, although there is provision for electricity related offences in the Penal Code, Miscellaneous Offences Act and Electricity Power Sector Reform Act, there are little or no judicial precedents to be associated with them in Nigerian environment.
“ We are therefore partnering with the relevant security and government agencies to achieve the joint objective of eliminating incidents of electricity related offences.“
He said that AEDC was aware that the DPPs Office, the Nigeria Police Force(NPF) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) played a crucial role in the achievement of the objective of curbing electricity offences.
He said that AEDC would work with the security agencies to effectively discharge the joint mandate.
“It is with this at the hindsight that our Legal Team set out in the fourth quarter of 2016 to interface with the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), being the Chief Criminal Prosecutor of the Federation.
“The purpose being the institution of a machinery that would enhance easy investigation and prosecution of electricity offences.
“ Our team held several meetings with the office of the DPPF which culminated in the setting up of the DPPF Special Investigation and Prosecution Team.“
He said It was the desire of AEDC to create awareness on the offences and to see that some persons involved in the act were convicted to serve as deterrent to other intending offenders. (NAN)
KC/IA
Edited by Idris Abdulrahman