A magistrate court in the Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown has sentenced a Chinese man to imprisonment after he was found guilty of electricity theft.
Li Shichao, who runs a mechanical workshop in the east end of the city, illegally tapped power from the national grid and sold it to the public, the court heard.
Police prosecutors said Li sourced the power from the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority to his workshop, which is located in Cline town, and from where he, in turn, distributed it to various houses in the area.
The case was heard by the Pa Demba Road Magistrate Court in the west end of the city.
In his verdict, the magistrate sentenced Li to four years imprisonment, with the option of paying a fine of the equivalent of US$1, 500.
In 2019, a Chinese-run housing estate was found to have illegally connected itself to the wrong tariff system, thereby consuming more power than it was paying for.
