A B777 CAPT ATTEMPTED TO DELAY BOARDING DURING MAINT WORK INCLUDING COCKPIT ELECTRICAL FUMES.

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INBOUND ACFT HAD EQUIP COOLING MALFUNCTION; EICAS AND WARNING HORN INDICATIONS. MECHS WERE WORKING THE PROB IN THE COCKPIT WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT. THEY WERE NOT CERTAIN WHAT THE PROB WAS; AND WERE TROUBLESHOOTING. GND/APU ELECTRIC PWR WAS BEING APPLIED AND REMOVED NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCESS. I SMELLED ELECTRICAL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT DURING THE COURSE OF THE MECH'S WORK; AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED THE GATE AGENTS TO HOLD OFF BOARDING UNTIL I ADVISED THEM IT WAS OK. APPROX 10 MINS LATER; WITHOUT MY HAVING SAID ANYTHING TO THE AGENTS; ZONE CTLR OR ANYONE ELSE; PAX BEGAN BOARDING THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE BOARDING PROCESS; AND ASKED ALL PAX TO LEAVE THE ACFT AND GO BACK TO THE BOARDING AREA. I THEN INQUIRED OF THE GATE AGENT WHY THE ACFT WAS BEING BOARDED DESPITE MY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO DO SO. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ZONE CTLR HAD CONTACTED MAINT AND BEEN ADVISED THAT IT WAS OK TO BOARD - DESPITE MY INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO DO SO. IT WAS NOT THE MECH IN THE COCKPIT WHO ADVISED OK TO BOARD; BUT SOMEONE ELSE IN A SUPERVISORY POS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE; ESPECIALLY SINCE 1) THE CAPT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE FLT FROM THE TIME HE SETS FOOT ON THE ACFT WITH THE INTENTION OF FLT; 2) I HAD SMELLED ELECTRICAL SMOKE; AND HAD INFORMED THE MECH IN THE COCKPIT; 3) I HAD SPECIFICALLY TOLD THE GATE AGENTS NOT TO BOARD THE FLT; BUT THEY YIELDED TO THE ZONE CTLR; WHO WAS MORE INTERESTED IN AVOIDING A DELAY PROB WITH MY FO THAN IN THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS BEING PWRED AND DE-PWRED; THERE WAS THE SMELL OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT; AND THE PROB WE WERE DEALING WITH WAS AN EQUIP COOLING PROB THAT COULD HAVE PRODUCED AN ELECTRICAL OVERHEAT AND POSSIBLE FIRE. SOMEONE MUST REINFORCE THAT WHEN A CAPT SAYS 'DO NOT BOARD;' IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO ZONE OR GATE AGENT SCHEDULE CONCERNS; BUT REQUIRES THAT THE CAPT SPECIFICALLY RESCIND THE PROHIBITION ON BOARDING. THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES IF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE HAD BROKEN OUT AT THE GATE; WITH A FULL B-777. PLT AND GATE AGENT PUSHING ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH FOR MY 21 YRS AT ACR. SAFETY AT ALL TIMES; AND IN ALL THINGS.