09 September 2013, Monrovia – Two Liberians along with their two Ghanaian counterparts have been arrested by security forces in Ganta for stealing several meters of electric wire from the West African Power Pool Project, WAPP.
In a local radio station phone in program in Ganta on Monday, many callers suggested that the four men be sentence to death while other opted for life imprisonment to deter criminals from pillaging the electric cables.
One of the callers suggested death penalty so as to deter not only the people in Ganta but also others who may find this as an opportunity to steal especially in the rural parts of the country where the lines are expected to be installed.
“We must be careful with the wire because no one will be there in the rural areas where the cable will pass, for example along the railroad all the way to Buchanan; who monitors the electric cables?,” he asked.
Many residents spoken to revealed that the four men allegedly stole the cables for the copper quality which was destined for the black market in Guinea.
According to one of the residents who prefer anonymity, some unscrupulous individuals for the first time since the installation of the West African Power Pool project in Sanniquellie took away several meters of similar wires for its copper property, an element that is in greater demand in Guinea that can be used for the manufacturing of cartridges and other needed materials.
When contacted to provide copy of the charge sheet, the Liberian National Police Commander at the Ganta Detail Sergeant George D. Paynes who did not confirm neither denies the arrest referred the New Republic reporter to the Director of Public Affairs Sam Collins in Monrovia.
– The New Republic Liberia