NEWS & UPDATES
Fish Pond Operator At Sematan Found Stealing Electricity
KUCHING, 3rd July 2015 - Following a public tip-off, SESCO raided a house which also operates a fish pond in Sematan, Kuching earlier this week. The operation comprised 20 personnel from the power company and government agencies including SESCO technicians and auxiliary police and Inspectors from Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU) from the Ministry of Public Utilities.
Upon arriving at site, the customer was served with a warrant from the magistrate to enter the premises after which the customer allowed the SESCO technicians to enter the compound. During the inspection, SESCO technicians found illegal wiring installed directly from the SESCO service line connected to the house distribution board (DB) switch to supply a water pump used for the fish pond, bypassing the electricity meter.
The illegal connection was concealed in the ceiling to avoid detection. SESCO technicians had to break the ceiling to access the illegal connection. Upon confirming the illegal connection, the illegal wires were removed by SESCO technicians and seized as evidence.
According to a SESCO spokesperson, the fish pond operator had been operating for the past 3 years. Several requests to access to the house to inspect the meter wiring before this had been refused.
"We could not enter the premises to inspect the wiring as the door was always locked. We therefore applied for a court warrant to enter the premises to inspect the meter," said a SESCo spokesperson, adding that the monthly billing consumption showed that the customer had been paying a minimum amount. It was obvious that it did not tally with the consumption used by the appliances installed in the premises. The electricity consumed by the fish pond water pumps was not registered.
A police report has been lodged for further investigation and the owner will be called in to assist with the investigation.
The SESCO spokesperson also said that through the power theft hotline 082-44 35 35, the company receives encouraging response from the public who provided many actionable information related to power theft. Most of this information had led SESCO to the discovery of genuine power theft cases.
SESCO would like to thank the public for their civic-mindedness and urges those who have related information to report to the power theft hot-line or email customercare@sarawakenergy.com.my. All information is kept strictly confidential.
SESCO would like to continue to remind the public that stealing electricity is a dangerous crime and punishable under section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance with a fine up to RM100,000 or imprisonment of five years or both.
