DUSHANBE, February 24, 2011, Asia-Plus — An unemployed resident of the city of Qurghon Teppa, A.K., 41, has been arrested on suspicion of stealing electricity.
The source at the Qurghon Teppa prosecutor’s office, says A.K. in 2009 ran wires from utility lines directly into a circuit-breaker panel, bypassing the electric meter. “Over the past two years, the culprit illegally consumed 4,824 kWh of electrical power that cost local electricity supplier at almost 10,500 somoni,” he said.
Criminal proceedings have been instituted against A.K. under the provisions of Article 253 (3) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – infliction of property damage by deception or abuse of confidence. If convicted, A.K. could face a jail term of up to five years or a fine in the amount of 300 to 500 minimal salaries.
Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity), told Asia-Plus that the electricity theft cases were not infrequent in the country. “Culprits are using various tactics: some run wires from utility lines directly into a circuit-breaker panel, bypassing the electric meter, while others tamper with electricity meters to lower their electric bills,” the spokesman said.
