Veronica White on Monday pleaded guilty (with explanation) after she was taken before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court facing charges of abstracting electricity illegaly.

Allegations in the matter are that a Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) officer went to a premises in the Corporate Area to conduct routine checks. During the operation, an illegal connection was discovered at the property occupied by the accused woman and the matter was reported to the police.

White gave a different story in her defence. She told the court that she had been receiving extremely high bills from the energy company since she rented the premises; a concern she says she has raised with the company on a regular basis. She said that on one recent occasion, a JPS manager instructed that a check be made at the premises to fully investigate the matter.

It was on this occasion, White said, the meter was removed by the JPS employee for inspection. She said that she did not 'bridge the light' as even after the meter was removed she still had electricity.

Routine checks

The JPS officer who discovered the illegal connection told the court that his visit to premises had nothing to do with the side of the argument presented by White, but that he was only carrying out routine checks. He said that he found White's story strange as JPS checks are usually done on the spot hence there would be no need to remove the meter. White firmly stood behind her story however.

Resident Magistrate Glen Brown has set a September 12 mention date for the matter. He instructed White to seek legal advice and contact the JPS as the company has recorded that White owes $131,140 for non-payment of bill over a 13-month period.