By: Audrey John
Engineer Justine Buya working at Ministry of Energy has on Friday 4th March 2022, testified before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road court No.1 in Freetown on electricity theft.
The witness said he recalled on the 26th October 2021, and only recognized first accused Alpha Margai not the 2nd accused Donald Adams, and recall as he was at the Ministry when a team take off and went to No. 1 Beach Road, and a person which he introduced himself and his colleagues that they are the Presidential Task Force going round to check for electricity theft and illegal abstraction of electricity.
Then the person told him that he is not owner of the house and went inside. Few minutes later, the first accused came out and saw him and explained to the first accused about their coming to the house, then he gave him the permission to check when he noticed a meter with two mains out of the three face distribution line, one was sent to the meter, the other to the change over, and they also link the other face to the changeover to use it free without any cost.
He said the meter itself has a breaker which is totally off when it is use in direct line. He found out that they connected from the free line to another room were the first accused is living. The witness went on to say after observing that he then asked again for the owner of the house and he got a response it was one Father T.
He then removed the meter and arrested the first accused, and he took out a form which he wrote on it what was his find out and the first accused signed and they took the first accused and the Father T including the meter to the Criminal Investigation Department. At the end of the testimony, the witness was cross examined by the defense C.I Williams Esq. It could be recall that both accused Alpha Margai Adams and Donald Deezee Adams on No. 1 Beach Road Lumley, Freetown, dishonestly consumed electricity supply. The accused persons are on bail, while the matter was adjourned to Friday 11th March 2022.