Benin: at Abomey-Calavi’s First Instance Court, two millers convicted of electricity theft.
At the Court of First Instance in Abomey-Calavi, two mill operators were sentenced to a 12-month prison term suspended for illicitly using electricity belonging to the Beninese Electricity Company (SBEE).
The men, tried in their absence, must also pay nearly 5 million CFA francs in compensation for the damages suffered.
The case dates back to checks carried out by SBEE, which revealed a fraudulent connection to the public grid used to operate their mills without paying the corresponding bills. According to the evidence presented to the court, this clandestine connection lasted several months, depriving the distribution company of legitimate revenue.
The prosecutor had requested a one-year prison term with suspension and full compensation for SBEE’s losses. The criminal court judge followed these requisitions, combining criminal penalties and civil restitution.
This decision illustrates the judiciary’s determination to firmly sanction frauds on the electricity network, a practice that weighs on the operation and financial balance of energy supply in Benin.
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