The director of the former Les Lapin Hotel in Ta’ Xbiex was conditionally discharged yesterday after being found guilty of damaging an electricity meter.

Dieter Fenech, 44, from Mellieħa, had originally also been charged with stealing about €31,000 worth of electricity after damage to a nearby substation was noted by Enemalta inspectors. But he was acquitted after evidence proved otherwise.

The court heard that Mr Fenech was arraigned following an inspection in July 2002, when it was noted that the red seals in the plant room of the hotel had been tampered with.

Inspectors also found a severed wire at the substation, which led to about €31,000 worth of electricity consumed by the hotel being under-registered over a number a months.

However, Magistrate Doreen Clarke ruled that no one had access to the substation except for the Enemalta employees and so acquitted Mr Fenech of this charge.

She did, however, find him guilty of damaging the meter because one seal had been broken.

The magistrate said that Mr Fenech, who had been hotel director since 1994, had failed to prove he was unaware of the damage to the meter or that he had taken the necessary steps to ensure this did not happen. He was conditionally discharged for a year.