A massive fraud scheme involving prepaid electricity has been uncovered at Erongo RED. Six members of the public and an electrical contractor of Walvis Bay is expected to be criminally charged in this regard, this week, after police commenced rounding up the suspects yesterday.
“This is just the beginning. As many as one hundred similar incidents are currently under investigation”, sources close to the investigation confirmed over the weekend. According to information the electrician assisted the culprits, allegedly against a fee, to manipulate their prepaid electricity meters at home not to register electricity usage against the units programmed onto the devices.
In this way suspects gained financially from using electricity for free. More than one hundred electricity users in Walvis Bay currently enjoy free electricity as a result of manipulated prepaid meters, namib times was told.
Erongo RED is expected to issue a press statement in this regard by today. The regional electricity distributor regards the issue as very serious, as this amounts to electricity revenue losses that potentially run into the millions. Other towns in Erongo are also suspected of harbouring these pirate electricity consumers.
Through a preliminary investigation and consulting sources close to the criminal investigation, it was learnt that all the suspects had their prepaid meters at their homes manipulated by this electrician. They are all residents of Walvis Bay’s lagoon neighbourhood and some occupy senior positions at their respective employers.
All the suspects were fined by Erongo RED for abusing the electricity distributor’s prepaid meters. They were eager to settle the fines and reimburse Erongo RED for the revenue losses. Despite, it seems at this stage they would be held criminally liable along with the electrical contractor.