Investigations into hundreds of Enemalta consumers allegedly involved in the smart meters scam are continuing despite the Prime Minister’s amnesty pledge, a police spokes-man yesterday told The Sunday Times of Malta.

“Account holders are being investigated,” he said. “Any criminal action depends on the outcome of the investigations.”

When Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi unveiled the scandal, he told journalists that the police had all the information about the 1,000 smart meter holders and bribery investigations were under way.

However, a few days later the Prime Minister announced an amnesty, effectively halting criminal action against account holders, which include some 200 businesses.

The Opposition immediately accused the Prime Minister of making “a political calculation” in order not to lose votes and called on the Police Commissioner to do his job and ensure justice is done.

Police sources told this newspaper yesterday that a number of account holders investigated have already admitted paying Enemalta officials to tamper with their meter.

“It will be difficult not to charge these people with corruption as they have already admitted,” a police inspector said.

Meanwhile, ex-Enemalta chief executive officer Louis Giordimaina, who had helmed the corporation since November 2011, declined to comment when asked whether the previous administration knew about this scam and failed to act – as has been claimed by Dr Mizzi.

“Since this issue is now under investigation by the police it would not be prudent of me to comment,” he said when contacted.

Mr Giordimaina left his CEO position at Enemalta on January 1 after the government chose him to head Air Malta. However, he remained a director of Enemalta. At the same time, a sitting member of the board of directors told this newspaper that the scam surfaced in October.

“I can confirm we got to know about this internal scam last October. It was discovered by the corporation’s executive head for distribution Allan Micallef, who was suspecting employees in his department were involved in a racket.

“The corporation’s internal audit department was involved and the details started unfolding,” he said.

Nine Enemalta employees have been suspended so far over the energy scam.

Three of them have already been charged in court, including one who was handed a prison sentence, while the other six are still under police investigations.

The police have been given the names and addresses of consumers suspected of theft and bribery.

Similar scam... different action

The electricity theft racket unveiled by Enemalta is similar to one found by Transport Malta (then Malta Maritime Authority) in 2007.

Following an internal audit it emerged some 500 people had paid €500 each to bribe MMA officers for mariner licences.

The licence is an obligatory basic certificate of competence for driving a boat and is obtained after a compulsory, three-week course. The fraudsters paid to get one without attending the course.

Two MMA officials were charged with running the racket. All 500 people suspected of bribery were also charged. Most were convicted and sentenced to a one-year jail term suspended for two years, fined €1,150 each and banned from obtaining a nautical licence for a year.