The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has confirmed that security agencies are investigating possible criminal elements in the fire incident at the Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station.
According to him, while a technical committee has been established to determine the root cause of the fire, law enforcement agencies are also conducting parallel investigations into whether any criminal activity contributed to the incident.
Addressing the press on Monday, April 27, the Minister explained that the technical committee will focus on a detailed and independent assessment of the cause of the fire, while the security agencies handle the criminal dimension of the investigation.
“I am well aware that the security agencies are also conducting the criminal aspect of the investigations,” he said.
When the Minister was asked whether the government suspected a possible case of arson, the Minister said the government was not ruling out anything.
The statement follows a fire outbreak on Thursday, April 23, which affected part of the Akosombo substation switchyard, disrupting power transmission and impacting a key component of Ghana’s electricity infrastructure.
The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) confirmed that the incident occurred at approximately 2:01 p.m., triggering emergency shutdowns and forcing engineers to isolate sections of the national grid. The fire is estimated to have affected between 720 megawatts and 1,000 megawatts of transmission capacity linked to the dam, one of the country’s most critical power generation assets.
Mr Jinapor assured the public that the government remains committed to restoring a stable electricity supply within the shortest possible time. He noted that engineers are working continuously, with indications that normal supply is expected to be restored within the week.
“I have been briefed that engineers seek to restore normalcy within this week,” he added.
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