Monday 22 December 2025 – 06:47 AM
The draft amendment to the Electricity Law, which the Senate, headed by Counselor Issam Farid, finally approved, stipulates reducing the minimum fine for theft of electricity from 100,000 pounds to 50,000 pounds, despite the government’s adherence to the higher value, while approving cases and controls for conciliation in those cases.
Text of the draft amendment to the electricity law and increasing the penalty for power theft after final approval by the Senate
The text of the draft law is as follows:
Article 70
Anyone who, during or because of the performance of his job duties in the field of electricity activities, commits acts that include:
1- Connecting electricity to any individual or entity in violation of the provisions of this law and the decisions implementing it
2-Knowing that any violation of electricity connection had been committed and did not take the initiative to inform the competent authority
3- Intentionally abstaining from providing any of the licensed services without excuse or support from the law. In the event of a recurrence, the penalty shall be doubled at its minimum and maximum levels, and the court shall oblige the convict to return double the value of the electrical current consumption seized by him in the case referred to in Clause (1) of the first paragraph of this article, in addition to obligating him to pay the expenses of returning the thing to its original state if that is necessary.
Article 71
Anyone who unlawfully seizes electricity will be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than one year and a fine of no less than 50,000 pounds and no more than one million pounds, or one of these two penalties. The penalty shall be doubled at its minimum and maximum levels in the event of a recidivism.
The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of not less than two years and a fine of not less than two hundred thousand pounds and not exceeding two million pounds, or one of these two penalties, if the crime referred to in the previous paragraph is committed through intentional interference in the operation of equipment, tasks, or devices related to the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity in accordance with the technical controls stipulated in the executive regulations of the law. The penalty shall be doubled at its minimum and maximum levels in the event of a recidivism.
However, if the crime referred to in the first paragraph is linked to the crime referred to in Article 68 of this law and results in a power outage, the penalty shall be imprisonment. In all cases, the court shall oblige the convict to return double the value of the electrical power consumption seized from him, in addition to obligating him to pay the expenses of restoring the thing to its original state if that is necessary.
Article 71 bis
It is permissible to reconcile in clauses 2 and 3 in the first paragraph of Article 70 in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. The victimized party may also reconcile with the violators, provided that the person who reconciles pays double the value. If referral is made to the prosecution, 3 times the value of the seized electricity will be paid, and in the event of a final judgment being issued, 4 times the value of the seized electricity will be paid.
