Electrician stole public electricity cables from various localities, court told

A man from Mellieha has been remanded in custody in connection with thefts of public electricity cables from various localities.

After a five-month investigation, police arraigned 37-year-old Andre Borg, a subcontractor who instals electricity cables for a living, before magistrate Joseph Gatt.

Borg was charged with three counts of aggravated theft of electricity cables from Paola, Zabbar and Tarxien and recidivism. The charges relate to incidents in January, April and May this year.

Inspector Paul Camilleri, prosecuting together with inspector Antonello Magri, told the court how the investigation had begun after the police had received a report about someone damaging electricity cables in January. During the night of May 5, the police had received a report from residents in Triq San Guzepp, Paola, who had seen sparks emanating from the electricity wires. Investigators had examined CCTV footage from the area that had been taken earlier in the day, which showed Borg stealing the cables.

A plainclothes policeman had observed him working on a high-up in the same area the next day and arrested him.

The court was told that Borg had refused to answer questions during his interrogation after consulting with his lawyer.

The magistrate rejected a request to allow lawyer Albert Zerafa, defence counsel together with lawyer Joey Reno Vella, to approach the bench and discuss the case in private.

After consulting with his lawyers, the defendant pleaded not guilty. Zerafa requested bail for his client.

The prosecution objected to bail, as civilian witnesses, one of whom was a colleague of the defendant’s, were yet to testify. The value of the damage was around €2,000, Inspector Camilleri said, but the gravity of the crime lay in the inconvenience he had caused to residents by cutting off their electricity supply.

The damage could have been much worse, he added.

Zerafa told the court that the defendant, who was a subcontractor engaged to change the cables, had damaged them by mistake.

He argued that the crime was not a major one and that Borg had already paid for some of the damages he had caused.

The magistrate asked the lawyer whether he had seen the man’s conviction sheet. Zerafa replied that he knew Borg had a previous conviction dating back a few years but not anything else.

The court proceeded to deny the bail request at this stage, in view of the civilian witnesses and Borg’s sullied criminal record.

While Borg’s partner, who had been sitting in the courtroom, burst into loud sobs, the court explained that it did not have peace of mind that he would observe his bail conditions.