ISLAMABAD: The management of K-Electric has accused the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) of acting in bad faith, committing contempt of court and having evil designs in holding it responsible for bogus billing.

Nepra on Thursday accused 15 top officials of K-Electric, including a former chief executive officer, of being involved in overbilling consumers and issuing unjustified and inflated bills to maximise the utility’s revenues.

A spokesperson of K-Electric alleged that Nepra had acted on “fictitious complaints” of bogus billing. He said the matter was prejudice for being in the Sindh High Court which had barred Nepra from making any final orders without the permission of the court.

“Nepra without any proof and purely on conjecture had decided that the KE had overbilled its consumers which the utility had already denied,” the spokesperson said.

“Now, after a lapse of over two years Nepra had created a work of fiction to fulfil its evil designs against the KE,” the spokesperson said, adding that it was looking at filing a suit for defamation and exemplary damages against Nepra and its members.

He said Nepra had launched a negative campaign against the power utility and its management which was begun by the member Punjab of Nepra.

The spokesperson warned that the negative behaviour of Nepra would discourage foreign investment in the country’s energy sector.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2014