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SAN FRANCISCO — City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s parent corporation Monday, accusing it of driving the utility into bankruptcy through unfair and illegal business practices. 

The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, asks PG&E Corp. to return as much as $5 billion to ratepayers. That includes $4.6 billion in dividends and stock purchases Herrera alleges were illegal, plus $663 million in tax payments made by the utility to its parent. 

“What we’re alleging is that PG&E essentially defrauded California ratepayers,” said Marc Slavin, deputy city attorney. The suit alleges the parent company ignored state regulations requiring it to keep the utility financially healthy. 

Greg Pruett, a spokesman for PG&E Corp. said the issues raised already have been reviewed and found to be invalid. 

“It’s unfortunate when such a great city as San Francisco resorts to political tactics by filing this type of a lawsuit as an attempt to obstruct Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s emergence from bankruptcy,” Pruett said. 

Slavin said the city’s suit complements another one filed a month earlier before by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. 

The utility filed for federal bankruptcy protection 10 months ago after soaring power prices drove it into debt.