Ouagadougou: The economic and financial unit of the research section of the 3rd Gendarmerie Legion, presented Monday, three alleged electricity thieves whose illicit activities cost the Société Nationale Burkinabè electricity , the sum of 16,997,175 FCFA.
According to the head of the economic and financial unit of the research section of the 3rd Gendarmerie Legion, Chief Warrant Officer Aimé Yaméogo, the modus operandi of these alleged electricity thieves consisted of making branch connections upstream of the meters to capture energy directly without it being counted.
‘It is a reprehensible practice which allows their authors and beneficiaries to directly capture energy without passing through the meters, which is synonymous with fraudulent maneuvers offering free and illicit consumption,’ said the chief warrant officer.
Alerted by SONABEL in May, the gendarmerie indicated that this organized theft of energy took place in several districts of Ouagadougou.
Listening to Aimé Yaméogo, the detailed investigat
ion opened with the aim of dismantling the network at the origin of these packages made it possible to establish that 5 fraudulent connections were made on the SONABEL network.
‘These connections, some of which date back to 2012, are intended for the households of NM, NA, CA and OA,’ clarified the head of the unit.
He also deplored the fact that the gendarmerie investigations indicate the existence of other cases of fraudulent connections to the SONABEL network in the city of Ouagadougou and elsewhere.
Chief Warrant Officer Aimé Yaméogo also informed that those arrested will be brought before the Faso prosecutor, at the Ouaga-I high court to answer for their actions.
In order to dismantle other possible suspects, the National Gendarmerie invites anyone with information to contact the following toll-free numbers: 1010 Monitoring and Alert Center, 16/80 00 11 45 National Gendarmerie, 17 Police National.
Source: Burkina Information Agency