‘Stolen electricity’ worth 1 billion won over five years; police investigation underway

【Financial News, Jeonju = Kang In】 The owner of an electrical installation company and a broker accused of stealing electricity by tampering with meters have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office.
The Jeonbuk Police Agency’s Metropolitan Criminal Investigation Unit said on the 4th that it had detained and referred the owner of an electrical installation company, identified as A, in their 40s, and a broker, identified as B, in their 40s, on suspicion of special larceny.
It also referred two other brokers to the Public Prosecution Office on the same charge without detaining them.
They are suspected of stealing electricity by tampering with meter wiring at 91 locations, including commercial buildings in the Jeonbuk region, from October 2020 until recently.
The stolen electricity totaled 8.41 million kWh, worth about 950 million won at market prices.
Investigators found that A, who was introduced to commercial property owners through brokers, carried out the tampering and pocketed about 100 million won in fees for the work.
The commercial property owners were found to have paid electricity bills equivalent to roughly one-third of the amount for the electricity they actually used.
Korea Electric Power Corporation has imposed penalties totaling 2.9 billion won on the commercial property owners—three times the charges for electricity they used without authorization.
Police are also investigating the commercial property owners who commissioned the electricity theft. A total of 67 owners are under investigation.
A police official said, “The owners who could not resist the temptation to reduce their electricity bills the easy way now face criminal liability and financial losses. We plan to refer the owners to the Public Prosecution Office in stages.”


[email protected] Kang In Reporter