Okada rider granted bail in transformer vandalism case

A district court at Suhum Kraboa Coaltar has granted bail to a 20-year-old motorcycle rider accused of helping to bring down an Electricity Company of Ghana transformer and attempting to steal from it.

The accused, Evans Adanu, denied all four charges brought against him, including conspiracy to interfere with ECG’s distribution system, interference with the distribution system, attempted theft and causing unlawful damage.

The court admitted him to bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be justified. The case has been adjourned to 28 April 2026.

According to the prosecution, the matter began after ECG alerted the court on 10 March 2026 that a 100kV pole-mounted transformer serving Otoase had been knocked down, leaving the community without electricity.

Technicians who inspected the site later concluded that the installation had not fallen accidentally but had been deliberately pulled from its pole.

The following night, the case took a new turn when a resident of Otoase-Owusuakuraa reportedly heard suspicious sounds near the scene while on patrol. Believing something unlawful was taking place, he fired a warning shot, causing four young men at the location to run into a nearby bush.

With the help of other residents, the complainant pursued the group and managed to apprehend Adanu, while the others escaped.

Police told the court that the accused was unable to give a convincing explanation for being at the scene and was later handed over to officers at Coaltar.

During investigations, prosecutors say, he admitted acting together with three others to remove and topple the transformer. Police say efforts are continuing to track down the remaining suspects.

The prosecution was led by Inspector Joseph Oteng.

In comments on the case, ECG’s General Manager for the Accra West Region, Sariel A. Etwire, praised local residents for helping to stop the suspected vandalism.

The company also used the occasion to express concern about a growing pattern of attacks on electricity infrastructure, warning that such incidents not only interrupt power supply but also impose heavy costs on the utility.

ECG has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity around critical installations.