The Opposition spokesman on justice, Beppe Fenech Adami, said yesterday the Labour government had failed in the fight against corruption.
Speaking during a motion to ratify the Additional Protocol to the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption, Dr Fenech Adami said that, instead, the government had shielded the corrupt.
When he addressed a press conference on the tampering of smart metres, as a result of which 1,000 consumers stole €30 million of electricity, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi had said the system allowed him to identify such people.
This was the first test for the Labour government after winning the election with the cry of zero tolerance against corruption.
It was the biggest case of corruption. Yet, the government decided not to proceed against such consumers.
One still did not know who the meter-tampering scam ‘big fish’ were
Dr Fenech Adami said Police Inspector Daniel Zammit had confirmed there was a political decision not to take action against those who bribed public officers.
This sent a message to honest citizens that stealing and bribing people paid because the government almost became an accomplice, providing a way out.
The government asked consumers to come forward and pay their bills together with interests and to name the “big fish”.
After the six-week period set by the government lapsed, there were still €20 million owed to Enemalta and one still did not know who the big fish were.
Dr Fenech Adami said that abuse by government officials was also a form of corruption.
While Labour should have removed all billboards after the general election, the government had used taxpayers’ money to display adverts on such billboards.
He said a Transport Malta official, a former PL employee who now earned €80,000 a year, gave a piece of land, by a direct order, to a company that would generate €10 million a year as a result.
The land, considered to be a “gold mine”, was situated close to the Grand Harbour.
Dr Fenech Adami said the PN government had fought corruption and criminal action had been taken against several people, including judges.
The Opposition agreed that Parliament should ratify the protocol and it agreed that there should be a serious fight against corruption.
However, it was wrong to think that corruption could only be fought by enacting laws. One had to ensure such legislation did work, Dr Fenech Adami said.