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ECG ‘meter-fraud’: Govt must act quickly!!!
Wikipidia defines ‘fraud’ as wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
The synonyms for ‘fraud’ include, swindling, scam, hanky-panky, shenanigans, crookedness, embezzlement, deceit, monkey-business and rip-off.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is said to have forwarded a case docket involving an alleged $36 million procurement fraud of electric meters, to the office of the Attorney-General for prosecution.
The $36 million procurement fraud is reported to have taken place in the Republic of Ghana in 2016.
The submission of the case docket to the office of the Attorney-General follows the conclusion of over four good years of investigations into ‘the fraudulent matter’ by the EOCO and the National Security.
Many concerned Ghanaians and institutions have questioned the long delay in the investigations and prosecution of officials involved in the ‘procurement fraud’.
The fraud was alleged to have ‘germinated’ in September 2016 when L&R Investments and Trading Company, which is incorporated in China, entered into a contract with the Government of Ghana, to supply electric meters to the Electricity Company of Ghana. Reportedly, the contract was to be executed within a period of 26 weeks, and an advanced payment of $12 million was made to L&R Investments plus a Letter of Credit for $24 million.
The 2020 Auditor-General’s Report on state-owned institutions, however, revealed that the meters, which were procured at a huge cost to the state, were abandoned by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) because they were not manufactured to meet the required specifications.
A brief background of the fraudulent deal dates back to September 2016, when the then Ministry of Power wrote to the Managing Director of the ECG , alerting him of a-$40-million financing, secured by the Government of Ghana for the procurement of electric meters.
Reportedly, the letter named Messrs L&R Investments, whose local representatives are Messrs First Grace Limited, to be given the contract to supply the meters.
The ECG management, upon the receipt of the letter from the Ministry of Power engaged Messrs L&R Investments and their local Ghanaian representatives. After ECG had evaluated the proposals from L&R Investments, a pre-contract meeting was said to have been held in October 2016 between the technical team of ECG and the Managing Director of L&R Investments Company. Reportedly, at that meeting, the scope of supply; technical classifications; due diligence; pilot studies; factory acceptance tests and training of ECG metering staff were agreed upon.
Indeed, the two key conditions before the supply of the meters after signing the contract were; the pilot studies to assess the meters for two months and the factory acceptance tests. Sources, however, say :”The 200 electric meters that were to be provided as samples for the pilot studies were not taken to the ECG and the agreed travel of three representatives from ECG to undertake the factory acceptance tests in China before manufacturing of the said meters , did not take place.”
The Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Policies and Research (INSTEPR), Mr Kwadwo Poku, insists that; “without any of these conditions being met, the management of ECG was sent shipping documents for containers of meters at the Tema Port.” Expectedly, the ECG management notified L&R Investments that they could not accept the meters because the processes agreed upon per the contract had not been followed.
Disturbingly, the meters in the containers were not the specifications as per the supply contract, when the containers were cleared at the Tema Port. According to the Executive Director of INSTEPR, the contract was terminated in 2017 after legal consultations but strangely, the company was able to discount the $24 million Letters of Credit given to them under the contract. “We have sighted documents that state that on the 16th of August 2017, at a time when Capital Bank had ceased to be a bank under the laws of Ghana; Capital Bank discounted the Letters of Credit and made a payment of $22.5 million to L&R Investments”, the Executive Director of INSTEPR, has said.
For instance, Mr. Kwadwo Poku is asking the following relevant questions: “Why has it taken four years for the state security agencies in investigating this transaction? “Who are the people behind L&R Investments and Trading Company in Ghana? “The initial $12 million was paid to First Grace Limited, their local representatives in Ghana.
Who are the people behind the Ghanaian company? “Why is the management of Capital Bank not being prosecuted for the illegal discounting of the Letters of Credit?” Readers, the initial investigation into the fraudulent electric meter-deal was reportedly carried out by Kroll and Associates; a corporate investigations and risk consulting firm contracted by the government to investigate various transactions under former President Mahama’s administration.
Readers, remember? How Mr Yao Domelovo, the immediate past Auditor-General was angered by the audits of Kroll and Associates, sanctioned by the then Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo ? The $36 million fraudulent deal was among other deals uncovered by Kroll and Associates.
A lot of well-meaning Ghanaians, however, hold the view that our government has been ‘very slow’ in taking action about this very disturbing fraudulent act. And this column challenges the government to quickly do the needful!!! Contact email/ WhatsApp of author: asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
By G. Frank Asmah
Indeed, numerous Ghanaians across the regions, all over Africa, and even people from other parts of the world were struck with sadness and grief upon hearing the sudden passing of the former First Lady of Ghana, Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, which occurred on the black day of Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Very often, it is difficult to believe the death of very high-profile persons in our communities, country, and even across the world, as recently witnessed in the passing of this indefatigable leader.
Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was the better half of the indomitable former President of Ghana, His Excellency, the late Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, who ruled Ghana for a record period of 18 years.
His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, alongside his able men like Osahene Boakye Gyan, Akatapore, and other young army officers, shook the political foundations of this country for a brief period from June 4 to the end of September 1979. Following the general election, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings handed over power to the late President, His Excellency Dr. Hilla Limann of the People’s National Convention (PNC), in a colorful national ceremony amidst pomp and pageantry.
Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and other colleagues in the Ghana Armed Forces, dissatisfied with the PNC Government’s administration—which was considered volatile at the time—staged another coup to topple the Limann Administration on December 31, 1981. After a successful dispensation, he reassumed the position of Head of State under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), remaining in power until 2000 when, following the general election, he handed over power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to former President His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It is noteworthy that from the June 4 period of 1979, stretching up to the 2000 general election, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was very vocal in Ghana’s political administration.
Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings not only actively supported her husband to realize his political ambitions but also made a lasting impact across Ghana by tirelessly advocating for women’s emancipation in social, economic, and political spheres.
Consider her dynamic role in the formation of the 31st December Women’s Group. She established various food processing industries in multiple towns and villages to empower women economically.
There were countless other initiatives through which she encouraged and benefited not only women but also numerous families, enabling them to lead meaningful lives. For instance, the family home of Nene Kofi Opey-Fiagbor in Adjikpo-Amlakpo, Somanya, was highly privileged to welcome Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings anytime she visited.
On a Saturday in early January 1983, she visited to seek the hand of one of our beautiful sisters, Lucy Kpodjie, for Alex Dautey, who was then one of her husband’s military guards at the Castle in Osu-Accra. How can we, as a family, ever forget such a diligent, graceful, and distinguished person like her in our memories?
Your Excellency, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, your loss is deeply felt and irreplaceable for Mother Ghana. We all join the Rawlings immediate family in Accra, the people of Asanteman, the Keta people of her late husband, and the National Democratic Congress, which she helped found, alongside the President and Government of Ghana, to mourn this loss.
To a highly beloved and illustrious daughter of Ghana: may Mother Earth lie lightly upon your body as your precious soul rests in perfect peace in the bosom of the Good Lord, until the resurrection day when we shall all meet again. Fare thee well!
DAMIRIFA DUE! DUENI AMANEHUNU!
By J. K. Tetteh Kpodjie
Concerned Citizen
Somanya
0557672086
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Sometime ago, money-doubling used to be a very lucrative trade for people who had the skill. But it all depended on the availability of street-lights, which were used as accessories in the money-doubling schemes. The more street-lights that were available, the more likely it was that money would be doubled.
Money has indeed been doubled for people—civil servants, pastors, journalists, and diplomats. People suspected of being naive and carrying cash were conned into believing their money could be doubled without chanting. All they had to do was place their money under a ‘sacred’ stone, then walk in a certain direction, counting ten street-lights in the process without looking back.
“If you look back, you’ll go mad, wallahi!” they were warned, to ensure obedience. After counting the ten street-lights, participants were told to return and collect their doubled money under the ‘divine’ stone with jubilation. And for a moment, it seemed real—the cash appeared doubled. The problem, of course, was that the entire sum was nothing but newspaper cut to fit the currency size. At first, victims would be amazed, thinking they were hallucinating, only to frantically realize the trick. Meanwhile, the money-doublers would vanish miles away with the real cash.
In this era, money-doubling schemes often occur around payday, when people have just received their salaries. Those with ¢80,000 in hand could be tempted with the promise of returning home with ¢160,000. But in reality, many end up empty-handed, learning the harsh lesson of the financial culture of today.
Not long ago, Edward Alomele, who claims he is “Original Alor,” collected his pay and walked leisurely home, planning to celebrate. A wayside lottery operator noticed his bulging back pocket and thought he could easily trick him into handing over the money. But Alor was no amateur when it came to finance.
The lottery man pointed to a display of consumer items—televisions, sound systems, cookers, water heaters—and explained the game. Alor tried a sample ticket and “won” a colour television instantly. However, since he hadn’t staked money, he was told he needed to hand over his pay to claim the prize. Alor, sensing the scam, studied the man’s reaction carefully.
He deliberately wore mismatched footwear—one red canvas shoe and one green—to signal that he was not an easy target. The lottery operator realized his mistake, apologized, and acknowledged that Alor was not a naive newcomer.
Despite widespread reporting on these scams, hundreds of people fall victim every week, losing a significant portion of their salaries. Many prefer to remain silent, ashamed of having been deceived. Some notable individuals, like Devine Ankamah, have managed to dodge these traps through vigilance and experience, but the majority remain vulnerable.
Even pastors and other respected members of society have been duped by money-doublers, proving that awareness alone is often not enough. As Merari Alomele notes, “When shall we ever learn?”
This article was first published on Saturday, August 5, 1995.
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