By Ragan M. Conteh
The Oversight Committee on Energy, Chaired by Hon. Kiekura K. Vandy, has informed the Minister of Energy, Kanja Sesay, and a host of officials from EGTC and EDSA, that one of the business tycoons in Sierra Leone, namely Pee Cee and Sons, has been caught in electricity thievery in Kenema District.
According to Hon. Keikura K. Vandy, Pee Cee and Sons were caught on illegal connection, defrauding the much needed government revenue, adding that after they were caught red-handed, they were fined fifty million Leones (Le50, 000, 000), which they never paid.
Hon. Keikura Vandy made this disclosure when submitting their Oversight report to the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Chernoh Abass Bundu, and officials from the Ministry of Energy regarding the activities of the ministry’s facilities across the country recently.
Hon. Vandy pointed out that the Ministry, especially EDSA, should pay key attention to business places which are using huge electricity but do not ever meet their obligations to the Energy Ministry.
He said there are many illegal connections across the country, through which the Government loses billions of Leones monthly.
Hon. Vandy ordered the Ministry of Energy and EDSA to ensure that Pee Cee and Sons pay the Le50,000,000 fine or face the full force of the law.
In a similar vein, Hon. Keikura K. Vandy has also informed that, during their Oversight activities in Kono, they found out that most of the night clubs in Kono are illegally connected with electricity, thereby depriving government of much needed revenue.
He also pointed out that, as a Committee, they need the Ministry of Energy to investigate the Capital Hotel in Kenema, because they were very sure Capitol Hotel are also engaged in illegal connection.
The Hon. MP urged the Ministry of Energy to institute a monthly visit to various part of the country, especially big businesses that are bent on defrauding Sierra Leone, to ensure that these challenges are mitigated, and electricity thieves put under check.
As a Committee he assured of their unflinching support to the institution through collaboration to ensure proper mechanisms are put in place to monitor electricity consumers nationwide.
This medium has also received numerous complaints from the company workers for their fraudulent activities especially the refusal by Pee Cee and Sons to pay NASSIT, End of Year Benefit and a host of unusual activities and this medium will soon unearth their activities in our subsequent editions.