An anonymous phone call to Enemalta in the summer of 2006 led to the conviction today of four employees found to have allowed the theft of fuel from the corporation's oil storage facility at Has Saptan.

Emanuel Borg 65 of Fgura, a former security officer, Joseph Farrugia, 56 of Gudja, a former plant operator, Michael Attard, 48, of Qormi, a former technical officer and and Carmel Gatt 48, a former plant officer from Zebbug , all employed by Enemalta at the time, were condemned to a two-year jail term suspended for four years and fined €4,300 each. They were also ordered to pay €1,402 each to Customs.

Inspector Raymond Cassar testified that in June and July, 2006, the police were told by then Enemalta CEO Anthony Rizzo that he had been told in an anonymous phone call that unauthorised bowsers were taking jet fuel from Has Saptan.

The four were caught after police monitoring.

It resulted that the practice may have been carried out for years and the theft was not noticed immediately because of fluctuation in fuel levels in the tanks due to the temperature. Some diesel was also stolen.

The amount of fuel that was stolen was not clear in the court sentence.