The Nationalist Party this afternoon hit out at the government for effectively giving an amnesty to some 1,000 people who had bribed public officers to acquire tampered electricity meters.

The prime minister said yesterday, and Enemalta confirmed today, that those consumers who came forward, paid for the stolen electricity and paid a fine would not be taken to court. (See separate story)

In a statement, the PN said it was disgraceful that the prime minister claimed he was fighting corruption, but then decided that no criminal action would be taken against those who had bribed Enemalta workers into giving them tampered meters. 

The party observed said that the consumers who used tampered meters had not only stolen electricity, but they had bribed public officers, in this case Enemalta officials.

While Enemalta regulations included the procedure to be followed for settlement of cases of theft of electricity, the crimes of corruption and bribery were different and they should be investigated by the police.

The  government should not be acting like those crimes had never happened.

This was a case where the government was interfering  in the course of justice. The police should not be allowing the government to decide against whom it took criminal action, the PN said. 

PL SAYS BUSUTTIL CANNOT DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM CASE

In a separate statement, the Labour Party said Simon Busuttil could not hide himself from this scandal, despite appearing to distance himself from Tonio Fenech, the minister who had been responsible for Enemalta.

The PL noted that Dr Busuttil had not said anything about the meters tampering case, ut he could not escape responsibility since he had been deputy leader of the party in government.

The PL noted that the Auditor-general had warned Enemalta about theft of electricity and the issue had featured in the media, but Enemalta dismissed the reports as ‘either irrelevant or incorrect’.