Piera said that she had received a bailiff’s note from Gutiérrez Félix, in which he addresses advertisers “threatening them that they should stop supporting us, otherwise run the risk of the same fate of being sued”.

The TV producer described the move as “an act that violates the freedom of the press and of expression, not just for our program but for the national press”.

The conflict between the government official and the investigative journalist arose after Piera alleged on her TV show that Gutiérrez Félix owed more than two million pesos to the EdeSur power distribution company in arrears dating back two years.

READ THIS: Senior official’s refusal to pay light bill surprise the media

EdeSur cut off official's power supply

Celso Marranzini, vice president of the Dominican Corporation of State Electricity Companies, says that Euclides Gutiérrez Félix’s electricity supply has been suspended. Four EdeSur units went to the politician’s residence in Manoguayabo yesterday and cut off his service, which has still not been reconnected.

Celso Marranzini was interviewed by journalist Huchi Lora for the El Día show on Telesistema.

Lora asked Celso Marranzini whether any citizen could do what Gutiérrez Félix was doing, i.e. not paying his electricity bills on the grounds that he is in legal conflict with the company that supplies the service.

Marranzini was categorical in saying that this was not possible, and that anyone who refuses to pay would have the service cut off with immediate effect.

Interviewed by Huchi Lora and Patricia Solano, Marranzini also commented on the conflict between Gutiérrez Félix and journalist Nuria Piera in relation to this issue. He confirmed that the PLD Political Committee member has not paid for 70 months.

Marranzini said that Gutiérrez Félix has again agreed to pay RD$150,000 towards the debt.

According to the CDEEE vice president, Gutiérrez Félix had promised to make a monthly payment of RD$150,000 back in April, but had only done so once since then.

Dominican Watchdog Note: This PLD official is sending the wrong signal to the public by stealing electricity. The current government is probably the most corrupt in the history of the DR. We found a funny photo of the government on facebook taged "Alibaba and the 40 thiefs" and the government under Leonel has been "awarded" no 2 in the world as most wasteful spender.