Goed Fortuin man, two employees of GPL contractor to be charged over fracas
The two employees of a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) contractor and the Goed Fortuin man, whom they allegedly assaulted two weeks ago, are expected to be charged today.
According to information reaching Stabroek News, 48-year-old Collin Williams, the man who claimed that he was assaulted by two employees of a GPL contractor, is expected to be charged along with the two men, for assault, today at the Wales Magistrate’s Court.
Williams had told Stabroek News that he had returned home after paying his electricity bill, only to discover that his current had been disconnected. At the time there was a disconnection crew nearby and after he queried why the electricity had been disconnected an argument ensued between him and the two employees of the GPL contractor.
Williams said that after the argument one of the workers hit him down with the bus before assaulting him with a large metal object while he was on the ground. He also claimed that the second worker assaulted him with a piece of wood. He was then rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was admitted for several days and treated for injuries to his head, neck, arms and other parts of his body.
Williams, who had said that he did not attack the two workers of the disconnection crew, is stunned that he is being charged along with them.
Despite several efforts to contact the power company, a statement was not released on the attack until a week after the incident. GPL, in the press release, said that the disconnection crew was attached to Noel’s Electrical, a private contractor, and was at the time was conducting disconnection and reconnection services on behalf of GPL.
The power company explained that the account from which the issue stemmed had an outstanding balance for April’s billing period and remained outstanding as of the May 8 due date. A grace period of fourteen days beyond the due date was extended to the customer and a disconnection order was subsequently generated on the fifteenth day, Wednesday, May 23 and dispatched to the disconnection crew, as no payments had been recorded within the grace period.
The statement added that the account was disconnected for non-payment of the April balance. Additionally, during the afternoon of the said day, a payment was made on the account. The amount tendered liquidated the outstanding balance and the reconnection fee. The account was subsequently reconnected on Friday, May, 25 in keeping with the company’s Customer Service Standards regarding reconnections.
The statement also added that they do not condone violence in any form against their customers, staff and contractors and that conflict resolution strategies play an integral role in their service delivery and they will endeavour to better equip their staff and contractors with the necessary tools to avoid similar incidents.