By Stanley Kolubah Johnson
Kakata, Margibi: A high-powered delegation from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) Anti-Power Theft Taskforce Division has exposed over twenty businesses for their alleged involvement in power theft.
On Monday, September 16, 2024, the LEC Anti-Power Theft Taskforce raided the homes of businesses allegedly involved in power theft.
Among those arrested during Monday’s raid is a prominent businessman in Kakata, Sackie Flomo.
Suspect Flomo has been forwarded to Monrovia to face investigation at the LEC headquarters.
Initially, Flomo pleaded not guilty to the crime charged against him.
However, in a latest release issued by the LEC dated September 17, 2024, it is quoted as saying that after a thorough investigation by the Liberia Electricity Corporation Anti-Power Theft Division, Mr. Flomo has been found guilty of illegal connection.
According to the release, the prominent businessman in Kakata allegedly admitted to illegally connecting to the LEC’s power grid in Kakata City.
Power theft is classified as a second-degree felony, which is punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both under the Revised Penal Code of Liberia, Chapter 15, Section 15.88.
The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) is a public utility created in 1973 by the Government of the Republic of Liberia through an act of the Legislature, with a mandate to generate, transmit, and distribute reliable and affordable electricity to Monrovia and the entire country, ensuring the corporation’s financial viability. The LEC has reported significant revenue losses (both technical and commercial) due to electricity/power theft.
In 2019, a Legislative Enactment of the Liberian Penal Code Act amended Chapter 15 by adding a new Section 15.8 to criminalize “power theft.”
The act was enacted by the Liberian Legislature and printed into handbills, thus criminalizing the act of power theft.
For his part, the prominent businessman in Kakata, Margibi, has vowed to restitute every cent he allegedly defrauded from the company.
“We agreed with the LEC that I shall restitute the charged amount for electricity power consumed through illegal connections, such as meter bypassing, tampering, or direct connections; and that upon my failure to meet this obligation, the LEC shall have the liberty to file criminal charges against me, my heirs, legal representatives, and/or business associates,” Flomo stated.
Based on the unlawful act by Flomo, the LEC has fined him US$1,500 for the offense.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sackie Flomo has made an initial deposit of US$700.00 in fines to the LEC, with a balance of US$800 due this December.
As the investigation continues, other individuals who were arrested along with Mr. Flomo have not yet been released.
