Wontumi TV and radio caught for GH¢300,000 power theft

Some businesses in Kumasi including the radio and TV stations of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi have been caught by the Electricity Company of Ghana for power theft.

Wontumi Radio and TV, according to sources, are indebted to the power company in excess of GH¢300,000.

The company is accused of illegal connections.

Sources familiar with the development told Starr News the ECG visited the facility and other businesses in the area on a tip-off and found over 100 people culpable of power theft.

“Our regional manager always pushes the public affairs unit to go public any time we arrest people for stealing ECG power, but when Wontumi station was disconnected for power theft he is quiet about the development and he is secretly negotiating to cover the rot because the media house belongs to a politician. This style of business management is why ECG is not meeting its revenue target,” the source said.

Responding to the matter, the General Manager of Wontumi Communications Limited known widely in Kumasi as Away Bus confirmed ECG detected the illegal connection but noted the said meter was tampered with before the company bought and moved into the building.

He explained the meter has been replaced by the ECG.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the bill off-head, they earlier gave us about Three Hundred Thousand Cedis bill (GH¢300,000) to pay then they later reduced it to over one hundred thousand Ghana Cedis. I’m surprised this issue has entered into the media”.

He added “It will surprise you to notice that ECG has commenced collection of the debt. The first power we bought from ECG since the issue began the system deducted 40 percent of the money to recover the debt. This means we have started the payment process so why do you take us to the media?”

“As the business manager for the media house, I’m not a technical person so I don’t even know a tempered meter so we were just doing our work. None of my technical personnel also did that until this issue came up. We are yet to inform Chairman Wontumi, the owner of the station, for us to resolve the issue with ECG you know he was very busy with his campaign activities.”

When Starr News contacted, the Ashanti regional public relations officer of ECG, Madam Grace Garshong, she denied knowledge of the operation conducted by the revenue mobilization team.

“I’m unaware of any exercise on the said radio station therefore I can’t speak to the issue. I will reach my bosses for any information on that,” she said in a phone conversation.

The Ashanti regional manager of ECG David Asamoah however confirmed the operation but refused to give details.