An Enemalta worker yesterday became the second person to admit to his involvement in an electricity meter tampering scam.

Carmel Vella, 55, from Żejtun, who worked in the lighting section of the energy company, pleaded guilty to bribery, accepting bribes, defrauding Enemalta and committing a crime he was in duty bound to prevent.

Mr Vella’s arraignment comes two weeks after Paul Pantalleresco, 55, from Mqabba, admitted in court to similar charges after tampering with about 250 meters, which, as a result, registered a far lower consumption than what was actually used.

He was sentenced to two years in prison.

He handled about 10 meters and defrauded the corporation of some €3,000

Mr Vella handled about 10 meters and defrauded the corporation of some €3,000.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia is expected to pass judgment next week. Mr Vella did not ask for bail and was remanded in custody.

The two were among 10 employees suspended so far in connection with the scam.

Two meter installers, Richard Gauci, 47, from Rabat, and Emanuel Micallef, 35, from Mtarfa, are pleading not guilty to tampering with the meters. They were remanded in custody.

It emerged that Mr Gauci had installed 14 meters that were found to have been tampered with while Mr Micallef had installed four.

Investigations are ongoing.

About 1,000 smart meters have been rigged and sources said account holders allegedly paid €1,200 for the job.

The meters had their internal resistors bridged, resulting in registering a fraction of the electricity units actually consumed.

The government has given consumers with rigged meters the opportunity to avoid prosecution by settling what they owe with interest, paying a penalty and providing information on how the meter was tampered with.

The Nationalist Party insists that consumers should also be brought to book for bribing public officers.