Naharnet

Hammoud: 19 Generator Owners Vow to Install Meters, Avoid Cutoffs

State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud announced Friday that “the Central Criminal Investigations Department interrogated today 19 generator owners who pledged not to withhold power feed from citizens and to commit to installing meters within 15 days in line with the economy minister’s decree.”

The prosecutor ordered the release of the nineteen providers pending further investigations, obliging the owners to obtain memos from the economy ministry to confirm that they have complied with the decree, the National News Agency said.

“The rest of the generator owners will be interrogated across Lebanon and further measures would follow in light of their testimonies and after confirming that they had committed to the decrees and laws,” NNA quoted Hammoud as saying.

Caretaker Justice Minister Salim Jreissati had on Wednesday issued a stern warning to neighborhood power generator providers, telling them that authorities would “confiscate” their generators should they stage another cut-off protest.

Providers had switched off their generators for two hours on Tuesday, plunging most Lebanese regions into darkness, to protest perceived maltreatment at the hands of authorities and security forces.

Authorities have been trying to implement a decree obliging providers to install meters for their subscribers amid an uproar over new tariffs and alleged technical difficulties.


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