Around 11,000 alleged electricity thefts in H1 — agency

AMMAN — The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) detected 5,316 alleged electricity thefts during the first half of this year, an EMRC statement said on Saturday.

When added to cases reportedly caught by police, the Gendarmerie and electricity distribution companies, the number rises to 10, 923.

EMRC Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari said that the cases were detected after the commission's judicial police, in cooperation with electricity distribution companies, conducted 142,675 visits to houses and facilities.

The EMRC detected 48.6 per cent of the cases, the Public Security Department and the Gendarmerie 9.8 per cent, and the electricity companies 41.6 per cent.

Lawsuits filed with  the courts reached 2,174 lawsuits, of which 1,099 have been settled, according to Hiyari.

The number of violations dropped by 16 per cent compared with the same period last year, the commissioner said, attributing the drop to “intensified campaigns against the illegal behaviour’’.

Hiyari said the commission is also working on activating the role of judicial police to monitor the performance of the electricity distributers and users, the statement said.