The Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, has said in Freetown that the Electricity Distribution Supply Authority (EDSA) is facing challenges in the dispensation of their work. He made the statement when they engaged the Chief Justice on the need to establish a special court on EDSA matters.
Revealing the quantum of financial loss the Authority is making, KKY said even though EDSA should be collecting eight million five hundred thousand new leones (Le8.5M) every month, it currently receives only five million five hundred thousand new leones (Le5.5M).
He said, “The national power supply stands at only one hundred and fifty megawatts (150mw) for a population of eight million. KKY disclosed that there is an outstanding debt of twenty-four million United States dollars (US$24M), partly due to systemic vandalism, as corroborated by reports from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Appealing for judicial support considering the magnitude of severe damages, he appealed for the establishment of a fast-track court that will expeditiously handle all cases related to electricity theft, illegal meter bypassing, infrastructure vandalism, including transformers.
He pledged EDSA’s commitment to internal reforms and accountability.
In his response, the Chief Justice Komba Kamanda assured the management of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) that he will establish a specialized court that deals with electricity related matters.
While expressing gratitude to the Chief Justice and the Judiciary for convening such an important meeting, KKY disclosed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the establishment of a specialized court staffed with trained judicial officers and prosecutors from the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to adjudicate criminal cases related to the electricity sector with specific reference to illegal meter bypassing, theft of electricity, vandalism electricity infrastructure and other related offences. He used the occasion to outline the key challenges in the electricity sector.
“At the moment the President currently serves as the Acting Minister of Energy and he is spearheading energy sector reforms,” he said, adding that “EDSA is undergoing significant reforms, including a planned privatization.” He disclosed that the bidding for private sector partnership is ongoing, with the process expected to conclude by December 2025. According to him, technological upgrades such as improved metering and advanced fault-detection systems are underway.
“One of the primary concerns among investors is EDSA’s financial stability and capacity to meet its obligations,” KKY said. He went on to disclose that EDSA loses between 55% to 72% of its revenues due to technical and commercial losses, including theft and illegal connections.
To affirm Judiciary’s readiness to support EDSA, the Chief Justice assured that he will establish a specialized fast-track court for EDSA matters with the much-needed attention. He encouraged them to work collaboratively with the Attorney-General’s Office.
“Designated State Counsel should be assigned to handle EDSA related cases,” the Chief Justice said, stressing that “Investigations must be thorough and not left solely to police prosecutors; the Law Officers’ Department should be fully engaged.” He said judicial training will be arranged through the Judicial and Legal Training Institute (JLTI) to equip and better prepare Judges and Magistrates before the operation of the Court.
The Chief Justice emphasized that electricity is a matter of public interest and national security and therefore committed his administration to support national development.
On her part, Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi requested data on pending electricity related cases in Court to facilitate tracking and monitoring of all the cases.
