GPL gets new Chief Security Officer

Sep 29, 2009 News

– illegal connection raids start again

Some 400 illegal connections have been removed and seized by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) over the past two weeks as part of the crackdown of that company’s campaign to stem losses.

And the company has named a new Chief Security Officer, Philip Armstrong, following the May shooting death of Clifford Malvin Peters who was gunned down while removing illegal electrical connections in Lamaha Park.

Officials yesterday acknowledged that the campaign to remove illegal connections had ground to a halt since that horrific incident as efforts were made to ensure increased security.

Over the past two weeks, raids were carried out in Lamaha Park, Vendors’ Arcade, Cummings Park, Diamond sea dam, Melanie Damishana and Angoy’s Avenue, Berbice.

“It was a dangerous situation. Many of the residents of these areas used telephone wires attached to the main lines,” according to a senior official.

Some of the wires had to be dug from underground while some ran through drains.

According to the official, GPL crews going on raiding exercises have to be accompanied by police.

However, there have been difficulties in getting police officers.

Peters, 59, a retired Senior Superintendent of Police, was shot several times in his head and chest and died en route to the hospital last May during a raid in Lamaha Park. The gunmen also took the official’s licensed firearm.

While there were speculations that the gunmen had targeted Peters for the jewellery he normally wore, family members and GPL officials were almost convinced that he was killed because of the work he was doing.

GPL Chairman, Winston Brassington, had reported earlier this year that for last year alone more than 23,000 illegal connections were identified and removed by the GPL Loss Reduction crew during raids.

A release from the power company had said that during the same period more than 370 raids were carried out.