A man identified as Clay Johnson, was last week arrested by members of the Liberian National Police (LNP) Anti-theft Division in the Rehab area in Paynesville for allegedly impersonating as an employee of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC).
The fake LEC employee bearing a fake ID# LEC-2528, with a position titled: “Customer Service Linesman, was said to have collected US$870 from a resident of that community with a promise of providing three lights poles before he apprehended by the LNP.
According to Mr. Eric Bracewell, who was duped by Johnson, the LEC power output in their community has been very weak over time either due to the weight on the electricity grid or due to the low capacity of the transformer.
Hence, he contacted the LEC so that he is allowed to purchase a personal transformer and was recommended to the importer where had gone to do his purchase but after assessing his community, he was advised to also purchase three light poles for the installation of the transformer.
According to him, it was at this point, the fake LEC employee introduced himself and offered that his department at LEC was responsible for the distribution of the light poles; therefore, he was hired to provide the three poles.
The victim narrated that Johnson told him to provide the amount of US$1,000 for the three poles including transportation of the poles, to be provided in a week but since he gave his money to Johnson, the purported LEC employee has stopped taking his calls and was nowhere to be seen.
Mr. Bracewell explained that he reported the matter to the LNP Zone 8 Depot in Paynesville and when Johnson was contacted, he admitted to the commission of the crime; however, he failed to turn himself in to the police, thus prompting a man-hunt and arrest for him.
Johnson was then contacted, through a third party, to provide another three meters for an informant and because he was bent on continuing his duping spree, he consented; it was at that point that he was apprehended by the LNP officers in Paynesville City.
According to other community residents, Johnson has been posing as an employee of the LEC, distributing electricity in the community and also promising to provide or replace stolen meters, light poles or wires; but these materials are never made available. One of Johnson’s victims is said to be Montserrado County District Six Representative, Rev. Samuel Enders who is also the Founder of the African Dream Academy.
Theft of electricity through illegal connections, tampering with meters, transmission and distribution lines, and theft of assets including poles, wires and transformers, remain the most singular challenge to the viability and sustenance of LEC as a public utility company.
The challenge involves individuals tampering with and making illegal connections in their communities to the LEC power lines. It also involves organized syndicates with elaborate structures posing as LEC operatives and involving some former and current employees of the corporation.
As a consequence, LEC is experiencing high commercial loss and low revenue generation, which has translated into high electricity tariffs, currently amongst the highest in the world. The ability of LEC to engage in capital investment is also frustrated, and the corporation is constrained to rely on the support of international donor partners for needed capital investment, which is not sustainable.
Higher tariffs also lead to high production costs which invariably disincentive private sector investment and undermines economic and social development in Liberia.
Meanwhile, the Government of Liberia has enacted a Power Theft Act which came into effect on the October 4, 2019 and characterizes power theft as a national security threat, thus establishing a system of prohibitions and penalties in relation to illegal connections; tampering with meters, transmission and distribution Lines; and theft of LEC assets including meters, light poles, wires and transformers.
The Act makes all forms of power theft a Second-Degree Felony punishable by jail terms ranging from two years to seven years and fines ranging from US$400 to US$1000 for individuals found guilty.
For industrial and commercial entities and syndicates, the Act provides for a fine of US$10,000 or doubles the gain from the commission of the crime coupled with seizure and forfeiture of assets associated with the offense including vehicles, properties and bank accounts.
People are said to be stealing about 60% of the electricity generated in Liberia annually by making illegal connections to their homes and businesses, the state-owned power utility has said.
Power theft has caused annual losses of about US$35m (£27m), Liberia Electricity Corporation and this situation has caused the utility of cash for extending power supply.
However, power theft in Liberia is a common practice among community members who feel frustrated over the bureaucracies involved in getting electricity from the state corporation.