Several Enemalta clients were yesterday charged with stealing a total of €93,000 worth of electricity through tampered smart meters.

The 14 accused – mainly involved in business – appeared, separately, before Magistrate Carol Peralta in a four-hour sitting.

They had criminal charges instituted after they failed to regularise their position in exchange for an amnesty from court proceedings.

One of the highest amounts allegedly stolen was by Michael Darmanin, who was charged with stealing €15,553 in electricity at his Old City Pub in Vittoriosa.

Inspectors found the red wire on his three-phase meter was not registering any electricity at all.

One customer admitted tothe charges against him

His consumption before the inspection was 17 units a day and this went up to 73.4 units a day after the meter was changed.

Robert Busuttil was accused of stealing even more – €17,156 worth – at his grocery shop Evergreen, in St Thomas Street, Floriana, where inspectors found a phase on his three-phase meter – the one that was loaded most – was not recording electricity consumption.

His four units a day before the inspection increased to 65 units a day after the meter was changed.

Gordon Micallef, owner of Gordon’s Discount Store in Qormi, was charged with stealing some €11,000 in electricity. Here too, inspectors found the red wire was not recording consumption. The 45 units a day before inspection rose to 97.9 units with a new meter.

Sonia Cilia la Corte – the estranged wife of an ex-Enemalta official who is charged with being a middleman – is alleged to have stolen €495 worth of electricity, just months after she had complained that she was being overcharged, the court heard.

Redent Zammit was accused of stealing €3,781 at his business, Love Pizza in Fgura, where inspectors found all wires in his three-phase meter were under-registering. The average consumption of 48 units a day before the inspection skyrocketed to 103.5 units a day after the meter was changed.

Louis Attard is alleged to have stolen over €845 worth at his residence in Carmelo Dimech Street, Mosta, after his smart meter under-registered by 61 per cent.

Jonathan Compagno was accused of the theft of €7,300 worth for his Compagno Confectionery in Żabbar Road, Fgura, where inspectors found his meter under-registering by 74 per cent. His 24 units a day climbed to 96.3 units the day after.

Josef Cassar was charged with stealing €144 at his warehouse in St Bernard Street in Marsa while another high figure related to Joseph Gauci, accused of stealing €19,849 in power for his shop in Main Street, Dingli.

Francis Xuereb allegedly stole €470 at his residence in Railway Street in Santa Venera where inspectors found one of the phases was not recording electricity consumption. The court heard Mr Xuereb wrote to Enemalta saying he was willing to pay off the amount but received no reply.

Mario Cassar, a butcher, was charged with having a tampered meter at his shop Wasp Butcher, and at his residence, both in Fgura, allegedly stealing €4,752 and €2,174 respectively. The shop’s meter had been changed two days before the inspection but tests on the old one found it was under-registering by 33 per cent.

Lewis Caruana,who owns a rabbit farm in Żurrieq, was accused of stealing €3,300 of electricity while the figure in Matthew Dimech’s case was put at €5,649, at Café Du Brazil in Vittoriosa.

One consumer, Alan Cachia, admitted the charges against him.

Magistrate Carol Peralta jailed him for two years, suspended for two, ordered him to pay his €400 debt to Enemalta within six months and also generally interdicted him.

All smart meters were presented as evidence in court.

Lawyers Stephen Tonna Lowell, Shazoo Ghaznavi, Franco Galea, Patrick Valentino, Charmaine Cherrett, Kris Busietta, Edward Gatt, Daniela Mangion and Lucio Sciriha appeared in turn for the accused.

Inspectors Daniel and Roderick Zammit prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Angie Muscat appeared parte civile for Enemalta. The cases have been deferred to December.