MAGISTRATE Rabindranauth Singh, on Tuesday at Albion Court, reprimanded and discharged two Guyana Power and Light (GPL) customers after he observed that, although they had cleared their respective accounts, they were still fined by the utility company.

Attorney-at-law, Mr. Ryan Crawford, who represented them, argued that GPL cannot fine them for an offence and, in turn, take them to Court.
“It’s double jeopardy, because they are the only provider, so whatever they decide, the consumer has to pay or be without electricity,” the lawyer submitted.
On February 2, at Number One Road, Corentyne, also in Berbice, GPL officials went to the home of Budranine Surattan where they carried out routine checks on his meter.
According to Surattan, the outer seal was intact but when the meter was opened, the inspectors claimed it had been tampered with.
That defendant, being a businessman who relied heavily on electricity to manage his business, said he did not argue with the inspectors but quickly complied by paying the required fine.
The other defendant, Willira Naidu, of Hampshire, also informed the court that he, too, was fined by the utility and had entered into an agreement with it to make monthly payments.
Both defendants produced documents to support their claims.
Particulars of the offences stated that, on February 2, 2014, the defendants, fraudulently, obstructed electricity supplied by GPL, to be diverted to their respective homes.