Electricity thieves warned

Enemalta is set to start taking harsher action against those caught stealing electricity after the deadline passed for people to own up to tampering with electricity meters and to regularise their position.

Electricity thieves will now have their supply suspended and will have to pay for the estimated theft going back five years.

In all, 2,400 users have come clean, against a Lm100 payment, but Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter believes people are still stealing electricity.

The applications - 2,100 from Malta and 300 from Gozo - only included 84 commercial clients. Mr Tranter said this was below the corporation's expectations.

Apart from providing a one-time income of Lm240,000, Enemalta's annual income will go up by about Lm500,000 as a result of its campaign to get people to come in line.

Mr Tranter said the corporation was not planning anything similar. "My view is that the campaign has taken place and there should not be another campaign for people who had second thoughts," he said.