Gas distributors yesterday obtained an injunction to stop any withdrawal or suspension of licences of trucks bearing the colour schemes or stickers of any LPG suppliers.

Claiming “abuse of power” by the newly set-up Regulator for Energy and Water Services, the gas distributors say that action being taken was “to favour a third person who has an interest in the sale of LPG”.

Malta Gas Distributors Limited and six gas distributors – Simon Buhagiar, Rene Grech, Brian Magro, Carmelo Formosa, John Marmara and Emanuel Bugeja – yesterday filed an application for an injunction against the Regulator for Energy and Water Services. The application was temporarily upheld by Mr Justice Noel Cuschieri.

Through their lawyers Robert Abela, Albert Zerafa and Ian Borg, the distributors explained that they were complaining about a letter they had received from the regulator signed on behalf of chief executive Marjohn Abela.

They were informed that the entity was due to carry out an inspection of their trucks and that “those distributors having trucks with the colour scheme and/or stickers of one of the LPG suppliers will have their licence suspended with immediate effect.”

The inspection was meant to be carried out at midday yesterday.

The distributors said they had always followed all rules and regulations imposed on them and that the letter sent to them was “abusive”. They said the licence does not include any conditions stopping them from fixing logos of any of the LPG suppliers.

They further claimed that the authority could not simply decide to suspend any licences when the aim of such a decision was “far from genuine” and when it was clear that the authority was being “manipulated”.

They said that, by abiding with the rules, they were being “punished” by the authority which was meant to be there to protect the free market and was now trying to interfere with something over which it has no jurisdiction.