PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami today questioned the government’s claims that the 1,000 individuals who allegedly bribed Enemalta officials to save themselves 75% of energy costs are small fish, as the government portrayed them to be, when the 1,000 individuals allegedly stole 30,000 euros each.

He said the Police Commissioner is obliged by law to investigate.

Dr Fenech Adami noted that the government said that a total 30 million euros worth of electricity was stolen by the 1,000 individuals.

Dr Fenech Adami, who was accompanied by shadow home affairs minister Jason Azzopardi, was speaking during a news conference at the PN headquarters in Pieta, reiterating his call for the Commissioner of Police to investigate the crime.

Referring to the statement made by the Parliamentary Secretary for Justice Owen Bonnici last week who stated that he was advised that no criminal proceedings could be instituted against the 1,000 individuals, Dr Fenech Adami said this is absurd when it’s obvious that a person who has been identified as participating in a crime should be investigated.

Dr Azzopardi said that the prime minister put himself above the law and forgave the 1,000 individuals by giving them an amnesty, despite his calls for zero tolerance against corruption.

Dr Azzopardi said that Article 346 of the Laws of Malta states that it is the duty of the Police to bring to justice the author of a crime and the individuals who participated in the crime as well, referring to the 1,000 individuals who allegedly bribed the Enemalta representatives.

A number of Enemalta employees have been charged with tampering with smart meters, one of whom was jailed for two years, but the government gave an amnesty to the individuals who bribed the Enemalta employees.

Dr Azzopardi also referred to Enemalta's refusal to request the police to proceed with an investigation.

Enemalta has the right to make a complaint of the injured party, as is the practice, so that the police can proceed with its investigation, Dr Azzopardi pointed out.

Dr Fenech Adami said that the 1,000 individuals had been caught thanks to a system which alerts Enemalta when a meter is tampered with, opposed to the past where one could not easily determine whether one tampered with a meter or not.

Dr Fenech Adami questioned why now, that Enemalta was alerted, the government decided to give those identified 1,000 individuals an amnesty.

He denied that under a PN-led administration, crimes such as these were ignored.

Another Enemalta official was suspended today, the sixth to be suspended. The PN earlier this week revealed the names of the persons who have been suspended after it accused the government of keeping secret their names.

Asked if the PN knew the name of the person who was suspended today, Dr Fenech Adami said he did not have the name of the person in hand.