Two men who claimed to be workers attached to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) are now in Police custody after they allegedly robbed a woman of $25,000 at her home.
Christine Persaud, in a Facebook post on Saturday, claimed that she was at home when she heard someone calling at the gate. Upon checking, she came face to face with two men clad in GPL uniforms, and badges.
“I looked through my window and saw a yellow bus with a ladder on top with a sign marked GPL. The guys asked me for my light bill which I knew to myself that I pay my bill up to date monthly and I had till the 22nd to pay this month’s bill,” she said.
Even though she knew very well she was not in arrears, Persaud gave the men a recent bill. She claimed that one of the men took the bill and began reading it. He later told her that they have to report that she has four meters on her building.
“I only have two, a postpaid and a prepaid. He said he wanted to do an investigation so I opened my gate knowing that I don’t have four meters on my building. He looked around and said that he has to take away my meter and line from the house. He took off my meter and took it into his bus and the negro guy came back to me because I began to cry because I was studying my children”, she explained
Persaud said in worry she asked the suspects what she had to do to stop them from removing the meters, and they reportedly told her that she would have to go into the office and reapply for a new meter, since the ones she had on her house had an illegal wire.
“I started to cry and he said he could’ve done something for me since I pleaded that I could’ve done whatever and I was looking out for kids. He said I needed to pay him $150,000, I pled with him, I knew to myself that I have not a cent to my name. I saw my neighbour, went to him and told him my situation, he then proceeded to give me $25,000 since that was all he had”, she underscored.
The woman said she gave them the money and told them to give her until 13:00h on the day in question, to come up with the balance. She said they then proceeded to reinstall the meter, and told her to call them when she gets the rest of the money.
“I started to cry and came in my house. I sat down and thought to myself, who am I going to call?”, I called a friend and he told me to call GPL. I called GPL and explained what happened and that I have my children. They said they will call me back and they did, only to tell me that I got robbed and I must go to the station”, she said.
Persaud said she immediately went to the police station and made a report. She said while at the station, she told the lawmen that she had a number to call the guys back, and she was told to give the men some more time and call them back.
“I then called them and said I have $108,000 and I wanted to get it over with. They did come back, but not with the yellow bus they first came with, they came this time, with a taxi and the police were waiting in my home for them.”
The men were immediately arrested and taken into Police custody as investigations continue.
