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Detected by the leaks
Answering questions on power piracy Ana Seneviratne, General Manager
for the CEB said pirates are detected largely on petitions and complaints
made by members of the public to the CEB. "A raid generally is carried
out on a tip-off," he said.
Mr. Seneviratne asserted that the CEB this year is trying to embark
on a more systematic approach, which will help nab those guilty of power
piracy, on a more regular basis.
Mr. Seneviratne maintained that some people with a high electricity
consumption resort to various methods of pirating power. "This maybe
due to their huge bill, or at the same time they want the luxury but do
not want to pay for it," he said. On the other hand poor people for
example in the rural areas hardly steal because their consumption is very
low. Yet it is common among shanty dwellers who do not have proper wiring
in their huts to pirate power from the main supply lines, Mr. Seneviratne
said.
Saying that at times his officers do meet with stiff opposition when
carrying out a raid, Mr. Seneviratne claimed it is at places like the Maligawatte
Housing Complex where organised gangs operate and threaten CEB officials
preventing them from carrying out their duty. Mr. Seneviratne said that
many companies registered with the Board Of Investment (BOI) have been
found guilty of power piracy.
The great power robbery
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon on February the 7th this year. The time
was 2.30pm. Residing on the outskirts of Colombo a retired army officer
Aluvihara and his family had just finished a heavy lunch and were preparing
for an afternoon snooze when an ominous banging on the gate was heard.
As the ex military officer prepared to investigate who was at his gate
on a Sunday afternoon, the last thought on his mind was, that he would
be nabbed for Power Piracy.
Standing outside his gate was a police officer from the Talangama police
station, and two investigative officers from the Ceylon Electricity Board
(CEB), 'Flying Squad' who acting on a tip-off had been told that Aluvihara
was guilty of a criminal offence, tampering with the metering of electricity
which had resulted in a shortfall of revenue of some Rs. 59,000. His power
supply was stopped by the CEB and he was led to the police station where
he was held in remand until he paid the outstanding balance of Rs. 59,000
together with a minimum fine of Rs. 5,000.
Aluvihara was found guilty of initiating pressure on the metal disk
inside his electricity meter box, preventing the free rotation of the meter
wheels and thereby reducing the record of the actual level of consumption.
Our investigation has found that 'Power Piracy' is a phenomenon most
commonly resorted to in the Greater Colombo area. In 1998 the CEB Flying
Squad detected 484 cases of power piracy in Colombo City only. In total
the CEB nabbed 1,820 miscreants guilty of pirating electric power supply.
Monaro Group Security & Services Ltd, on the 16th of January this
year were nabbed for a sum of Rs. 215800.86 for pirating electric power.
The company had allegedly tampered with the electricity meter no. 209554
by obstructing the free rotation of the meter wheels, inserting a small
stone inside the meter box between the digital wheel. As a result the meter
wheels were unable to rotate and register the correct consumption of electricity.
The CEB flying squad in October last year raided the residence of A.
de Silva, retired Senior Superintendent of Police living in Mount Lavinia.
Electrical items found in use at the senior ex police officers residence
included 3 air conditioners, 9 ceiling fans, 4 television sets, 4 irons,
2 rice cookers, an emersion heater, and boiler together with 50 electric
bulbs a washing machine and water pump. The ex police officer was led to
the Mount Lavinia police station and fined a total of Rs. 34,066.38.
Further investigations led to finding that officers from the CEB flying
squad have been threatened with death by a top rung government politico.
The head of the flying squad for the greater Colombo area, Mr. Teeman Perera,
on the 1st of November 1995, made a statement to the Matugama police that
he received a death threat from Mr. W.D. Karunaratne, Secretary to Anil
Moonesinghe, Deputy Speaker of Parliament. As sparks began to fly over
the raid, the Director of the CEB Special Investigative Branch, was forced
to personally carry out the detection on the fuming politicos residence.
The Matugama court later held that evidence proved that Mr. Karunaratne
had indeed tapped the overhead service wires securing an illegal supply
of electricity to his residence, from an additional wire. The court ordered
that he pay a fine of Rs. 5,000.
On the 20th of May last year, C & H Lanka (Pvt.) Limited, a major
exporter at the Biyagama Free trade zone was charged Rs. 11,677,615.28
for tampering with the CEB electric metre. At the time CEB officials carried
out the raid, the General Manager of the company G.B. Rajapakse (former
head of Lake House), was immediately taken into custody and produced at
the Magistrates Court Gampaha, with a claim of over Rs. one million for
under billed electric supply.
The Chairman of the company Edwin A. Weerasinghe, and ex President for
the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, on May 25th 1998, wrote to the Secretary,
Ministry of Irrigation and Power, claiming that his firm had not done anything
irregular and are not guilty of tampering with the metering of electricity.
Mr. Weerasinghe however asked that time be granted to settle the outstanding
sum of money in 15 monthly instalments.
The BOI firm has upto date paid Rs. 4 lakhs against the total amount
due. Ralpanawe Associates, Attorneys-at-Law & Notaries, representing
C & H Lanka, on June 26th 1998 wrote to the Officer In Charge of the
Biyagama Police Station, informing him that a court injunction has been
sought to prevent the CEB from cutting the supply of electricity until
the entire amount of Rs. 11, 677,615.28 is paid.
According to a special investigative report by the CEB, C & H Lanka
(Pvt) Ltd, had incorrectly poled the red, yellow and blue phase Current
Transformer in order to reduce the recorded consumption of electricity.
As a result of the Current Transformer being reversed the CEB meter records
only 1/3 of the actual consumption of electricity.
Abdul Ali Sulaiman, ex Consul General in Sri Lanka for Togo, was furious
when the CEB flying squad raided his residence at No. 415, Galle Road,
Colombo 3 on December 19th 1996. Mr. Sulaiman is also the landlord of 'Pilawoos'
Colpetty, the popular 24 hour restaurant. Mr. Sulaiman was fined some Rs.
3 lakhs, a sum he paid in four monthly instalments. At the time of the
raid Mr. Sulaimans residence boasted among other electrical items, 7 air
conditioners, 2 electric kettles, 8 fans, a deep freezer, refrigerator,
washing machine and 2 colour television Sets.
When contacted by The Sunday Times Mr. Abdul Ali Sulaiman, now, All
Island Justice of the Peace (JP) and President of the All Sri Lanka Justice
of Peace Association, claims he was harassed by the CEB flying squad. He
said that while the raid was conducted, due to the ensuing commotion a
large crowd had gathered on the road outside his residence at Colpetty.
Sulaiman however admitted paying the sum of Rs. 3 lakhs against loss of
revenue to the CEB for the piracy of power from his residence.
Mr. Sulaiman maintains that the piracy had been done by a previous tenant
who had occupied the house. "I did not know the meter had been tampered
with," he said.
Just five months prior to this raid, on the 11th of July 1996,Wimal
Wickremasinghe, former cabinet minister was charged the sum of Rs. 77,746.64
for being found guilty of power piracy.
At the ex Ministers residence at Malwatte Avenue, Nugegoda, the CEB
flying squad detected that one of the live phase wires and the neutral
wire of this supply were damaged at a point before the metering point in
between the roof and the ceiling. As a result the electric supply was consumed
without the consumption being recorded in the meter by connecting extra
wires to the point that those wires were damaged.
Mr. Wimal Wickremasinghe's residence at the time of the raid, among
other electrical items, had 41 electric lamps, 2 air conditioners, 3 refrigerators,
a computer, micro oven and electric cooker.
A high powered official at the CEB who spoke on grounds of anonymity
disclosed some methods practised to pirate power.
He said one of the more common methods is where a tiny hole is drilled
on top of the meter cover and a small eikel is inserted bringing pressure
and preventing the meter disk from turning.
Another way to pirate power, is to bridge the voltage coil from the
bottom of the meter box. At the bottom of the meter there are four terminals,
incoming and outgoing and two wires going out for input and output.
It is possible to bridge one wire if one has access to the bottom cover.
Any meter comes sealed on the top but the bottom where the CEB actually
gives electricity supply is where it is possible to connect the service
wires. At this point the wires are bridged, thereby recording a lower level
of electric consumption, providing then a false reading.
Yet another method is to break the seal of the glass, if it is removed,
and allowed to rest on the wheel. It again will record a lower consumption
of electricity. Power pirates then use a suction to pull the glass back
in place, so it will not be possible to detect the offence.
A CEB official said that in many instances CEB employees themselves
have been responsible for installing methods for power piracy.
"They do it for money" he said, adding for example, that after
electric supply is given to a newly built house the service wire at the
top of the ceiling is tampered with so it receives electric supply from
the main overhead supply lines, bypassing the metering point.
Such raids by the CEB flying squad are normally conducted on a tip-off
or petitions sent to the Chairman. Some of these are malicious while some
are not.
Disclosures reveal that a retired army officer, former
diplomat, bureaucrats, retired senior superintendent of police, and some
leading companies are among those who have been classed as pirates by a
state agency. They have all been detected by the Ceylon Electricity Board
for pirating power.
Special Report
Editorial/Opinion Contents
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