Cape Verde Electricity Company Records Almost 3,000 Fraud Cases in Six Months

The Cape Verde Electricity Distribution Company (EDEC) carried out 8,890 audits in the first half of 2024, of which it identified 2,903 cases of energy theft fraud, an official said on Tuesday.

According to the company’s CEO, Antana da Cruz, “8,890 checks were carried out in Santiago Sul. [que inclui a capital, Praia]of which 2,903 cases of energy theft were identified in the first half of 2024.”

The figures were released in Praia at a press conference after two people were electrocuted on Sunday while trying to steal energy through secret communications in different areas of the city of Praia.

The person in charge considered that “the quantity was large” and warned the population about the danger posed by energy theft.

“There are areas with a network [de energia] built, people can connect, and we still have loose cables that put the lives of people living in that space at risk. I think it’s time to realize that the danger is much greater during this rainy season,” he said.

In January, then-Electra party president Luis Teixeira said that 3,840 criminal cases had been referred between 2017 and 2022, of which 1,061 had been resolved and 2,779 remained pending (72%).

Clandestine connections to the electrical grid, usually done incorrectly, have caused several electrocution deaths in Cape Verde in recent years, in some cases killing children.

According to the company, in 2022 alone, there were six deaths from electric shock and several incidents with serious injuries.

ADEC is the new electricity distribution company in Cape Verde, one of three that led to the disappearance of the northern and southern branches of the then Electra and its split.

Others are the Cape Verde Electricity Production Company (EPEC SA) and the National Electricity System Operator of Cape Verde (ONSEC SA).