He stated that the Ministry would not hesitate to secure a court order to sell the assets of individuals and companies found guilty after their prosecution to recover the cost of the missing items. The proceeds, he said, would be used to invest in the national grid system to improve power delivery.

Mr Jinapor made these remarks on Friday, March 28, 2025, during a visit to the premises of Dangfang Company Ltd and Ponlok Manufacturing Company Ltd near Shai Hills, as well as a warehouse in Kpone, to inspect tons of missing cables uncovered by the National Security Secretariat.

At Dangfang Company Ltd and Ponlok Manufacturing Company Ltd, the Minister, who was accompanied by officials from the Ministry, was taken on a tour of the smelting facilities and warehouses, where cable drums and cables labelled as the property of ECG were being smelted and converted into aluminium rods for export.

At Kpone, the Minister was shown a large warehouse containing cables suspected to belong to the ECG.

Mr Jinapor revealed that following an investigation launched upon his assumption of office this year, a committee established that over 1,300 containers could not be accounted for at Tema Port. This led to security agencies being alerted, resulting in the discovery of some of the missing cables in these factories.

He stated that preliminary investigations indicate that these disappearances have been ongoing since 2019 and are the work of a syndicate. Mr Jinapor vowed to dismantle the cartel, declaring: “We will chase everybody and pursue every organisation involved in this cartel.”

“Clearly, as you can see, these are ECG cables. They are meant to be used by ECG, but they end up in these factories, where they are melted down to produce aluminium rods. That is criminal,” he asserted.

He also condemned attempts by some members of the public to politicise the matter, emphasising that as Minister, he had sworn an oath to ensure that the right course of action was taken.

With the support of security agencies, he assured the public that the Ministry would pursue and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.

“We will do everything we can to trace these containers because they have serial numbers and manifests. We will ensure that the law takes its course,” he added.

Mr Jinapor disclosed that in 2014, ECG’s planned procurement budget was $1.397 billion. However, by the end of the year, the company had procured items worth $8.2 billion.

“They engaged in frivolous over-expenditure, procuring items they did not have the money to clear, and that is what has brought us to this point,” he said.

“The same thing happened in 2023. Their planned procurement was less than $1 billion, yet they ended up procuring $8.3 billion—more than $7.3 billion over the approved amount. In 2023, they procured $8.3 billion; in 2024, they procured $8.2 billion. This is over 700% more than what was approved.”

He warned against attempts to politicise the issue.

“Let me be clear. Those who think they can turn this into a political game or use it for equalisation—it will not work. This crime has been ongoing since 2019, and the previous government failed to act. This government will not allow it to continue. As Minister, I will ensure that we put an end to this, apprehend those responsible, and retrieve the missing containers. In simple terms, I want my containers. Simple as that. Wherever they are, we will find them.”

Regarding arrests made so far, Mr Jinapor assured the public that the Ministry would ensure that those found culpable were prosecuted.

Chief Superintendent Osman Alhassan, Director of Investigations at the National Security Council Secretariat, who led the Minister’s tour, disclosed that some of those arrested had attempted to influence security personnel, but the officers remained steadfast in executing their duty.

So far, 14 individuals have been arrested in connection with the bust—10 Chinese nationals and four Ghanaians.

Chief Superintendent Alhassan noted that the total number of missing containers could not yet be determined, as the retrieved cables were not stored in containers, making it difficult to quantify.

“All I can say is that we have retrieved some quantity of cables, but I cannot quantify them in terms of containers. Yes, we have heard about some transformers elsewhere, but I am yet to investigate that matter. At the appropriate time, we will provide further updates,” he said.