A 26-year-old scrap dealer at Dambai in the Krachi East district, Razak Ibrahim, has appeared before a Hohoe Circuit Court for allegedly stealing high tension cables, a property of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). Razak, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was changed from dishonestly receiving to stealing, has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 with a surety to be justified. He is to re-appear again on November 21, this year. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Samuel Gbedemah told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Sarpong-Appiah, that there had been reported cases of thefts of ECG cables at Kpelema near Dambai. He said it was realized that most of the time the electric poles get burnt by wild bushfires after which the cables are stolen after the fires had died down, compelling the inhabitants to be on the look out to apprehend the culprits. He said the vigilance of a boat owner at Dambai, paid off when he and others arrested Razak attempting to ferry a consignment of 120 x 250 sq mm of high tension cables valued at GH¢540, which he packed into five sacks. Mr Gbedemah said the boat owner who was curious of the content of the sacks due to its weight, forcibly opened one of the sacks to reveal the cables, and he raised the alarm, leading to the arrest of the suspect. He said Razak denied stealing the cables but maintained that he bought the items as scrap from an unknown man. Source: GNA