Punitive laws are needed to fight against vandalism – Speaker

General News of Monday, April 1, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-04-01

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, called for a revision of the country's laws to severely punish those who destroy state facilities that affect the economy.

He added that such crimes, which he described as economic crimes, did not entail a strict condemnation regime, considering the stolen or destroyed objects, but not the effect of the acts on the economy.

Professor Oquaye made this call following the presentation of a statement on the damage recently caused by strangers to power transmission towers belonging to the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).

Mr. George Mireku Duker, MP for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), read the statement last Friday. MPs from both sides of the House also contributed and urged security agencies to investigate and arrest the perpetrators. .

The population demolished one of GRIDCo's high-voltage transmission towers in the Tema enclave on Monday, March 25, 2019.

The pylon fell on an adjacent tower in the process.

According to GRIDCo, the damaged tower was part of the transmission chain that transmitted power from Karpower, VRA and AKSA to the national grid.

The situation has resulted in power cuts in parts of Greater Accra, including Dansoman, Kasoa, Swan Lake and parts of the West and Ashanti regions.

Economic crime

According to Professor Oquaye, unless the laws are revised so that economic criminals face all the rigors of the law, MEPs will continue to make statements on these statements without concrete results.

He therefore instructed lawmakers to consider revising laws to treat perpetrators of economic crimes more decisively.

Mr. Oquaye said it was time for Parliament to establish a committee to study such legislation to deter people from committing such crimes.

"Offenses that underlie our economy, which affect us all, will be treated in a special way, we should have a law that will bite you, no matter what your affiliation.

Saboteurs de l'état

In his statement, Duker said that the intention to cause a pandemonium in the country was a cause for concern, as the same incidents took place in other jurisdictions.

For example, he said on March 8, 2019, the Venezuelan people were deeply shocked by the saboteurs who engaged in an "electricity war" to cut off the power.

On November 22, 2015, the Russian government again announced the state of emergency in the Crimea Peninsula, which is the subject of litigation, as a result of a power failure in an act of sabotage.

"Ghana could be a target if local authors formed a cartel with some of these groups.

Taking what was happening in the enclave of Tema, the saboteurs destroyed the bolts and nuts of the pylon at its base, while a supposedly corrosive substance, allegedly used for damage, was also seen on places.

This unfortunate development must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians, regardless of our membership of a political party, because it was an attack on the integrity of this nation, "he said.

Mr Duker urged security agencies to step up their investigations into the case "in order to bring the perpetrators of this criminal action to justice".

He asked people, particularly those living in Tema, Dawhenya, Aflenya, Kpone, Ashaiman and Prampram, to provide information about suspected individuals to the police in order to facilitate investigations.

Duker said GRIDCo spent about $ 100,000 to replace the two pylons destroyed as a result of the damage.

More investigations

The majority leader, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said that it was necessary for security agencies to intensify their investigations to arrest the perpetrators.

He reminded the public that it was his duty to discourage the perpetration of "such ravages in the nation".

The deputy minority bad, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, also added his call to the call launched by the security agencies for them to investigate this, in order to clarify the nature and motive of the perpetrators .