TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - Villagers in Georgia beat up an electric company employee and bit one of his ears off after he threatened to shut their power off for nonpayment, police in the former Soviet republic said Tuesday.

The attack occurred Monday in Kvemo Arkvani, about 55 miles southeast of Tbilisi, when regional utility worker Elshad Tagimov told some residents he was going to turn off their electricity because they were late in paying their bills, regional police officer Temur Maisuradze said. He gave no further details of the incident.

The small, former Soviet republic is plagued by frequent power outages, and non-payment is a constant problem for its utilities. The Tbilisi electric company recently cut off supplies to 300 state bodies because of debts accumulated in previous years.

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