Wontumi Radio and TV accused of power theft in excess of GH₵300,000.

The development came to light after a source close to Starr News revealed that the ECG had visited the facility and other surrounding businesses after a tip off.

According to the anonymous source, the Ashanti Regional manager of the ECG has been reluctant to make the issue public because it involves the chairman of the ruling party in the region, who is known wide as Wontumi.

“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 unnamed source said the ECG found more than 100 people liable for stealing power.

In a response to the issue, the General Manager of Wontumi Communications Limited, known popularly in Kumasi as Away Bus indicated that, indeed, the ECG detected the illegal connection.

”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, however, pointed out that the issue arose because the meter had been tampered with before they purchased it.

“Me 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.”

According to him they have already started paying off the debt.

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

However, the Ashanti Regional Public Relation Officer of the ECG, Madam Grace Garshong, has noted that she does not know the company’s revenue mobilization team embarked on any such operation.

“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.”

According to Starr News, the Ashanti Regional Manager of the ECG, David Asamoah, has confirmed that the operation took place but declined to give details.