Updated | Energy thieves must be charged with bribery, say Nationalist MPs

Opposition says PN policy on corruption has always been zero-tolerance

MPs Jason Azzopardi and George Pullicino flanked the Nationalist deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami.
MPs Jason Azzopardi and George Pullicino flanked the Nationalist deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami.

The Opposition is keeping up the pressure on energy minister Konrad Mizzi and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, calling on them to prosecute Enemalta customers who bribed employees to hack into their smart meters.

Deputy leader for party affairs Beppe Fenech Adami said that government was pursuing those who had stolen energy from Enemalta, and said the PN denied giving any instructions when it was in power, not to take criminal action on energy theft.

"We deny that any PN minister or other authority was aware of these alleged cases and refused to take action," Fenech Adami said. "We neither had favour nor fear for such defaulters."

In a press conference to rebut Konrad Mizzi's allegations made yesterday in Parliament, Fenech Adami said that the government had yet to identify who was responsible for keeping these 665 cases hidden, after former minister Tonio Fenech denied being aware of these investigation files.

"The PN's position on corruption is zero tolerance," he underlined.

Fenech Adami said that according to Konrad Mizzi's own statistics, in the 12 months during his own stewardship of the energy ministery, some officials had received €1.5 million in bribes.

"As Mizzi himself confirmed, one of the persons implicated is his own liaison officer at Enemalta, Louis Attard. It is unacceptable that his name only became public after George Pullicino's intervention," Fenech Adami said.

"How many more people close to ministers and parliamentary secretaries are involved in the energy theft, and who could have bribed Enemalta employees? Honest people are asking whether any energy thieves who had business accounts are affiliated with any Labour members. Honest families want accountability and the rule of law."

On his part, Nationalist MP George Pullicino asked whether the energy minister had confirmed with police whether any of these investigations had been indeed finalised.

Pullicino also turned his attention to former Enemalta chairman Louis Giordimaina, questioning whether he was aware of the 665 files detailing theft.

"This is the biggest scandal so far since public officials have been involved in bribery to tamper smart meters. And this scandal is a result of Muscat's action to put politics before the fight against corruption," Pullicino said.

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi also insisted that while the electricity rules could waive criminal charges on the theft of energy, customers who had bribed Enemalta employees could not be safeguarded from bribery charges.

"The accomplice bears the same offence as the perpetrator. The law provides for the accomplice to be brought before justice, in contrast with what the government is saying," Azzopardi said, demanding a meticulous investigation at Enemalta in order to ensure accountability and transparency.

Asked whether previous ministers should take political responsibility for what occurred during their time, Fenech Adami remarked that this was not the case since neither Tonio Fenech nor any other member of the Cabinet were aware of what was going on.

Former finance minister Tonio Fenech has already filed a defamation suit against Labour MEP candidate Charlon Gouder who alleged that the MP was aware of some 665 cases of energy theft that were deliberately ignored.

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Priscilla Darmenia
@ milomalta - like your comment
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Priscilla Darmenia
"We deny that any PN minister or other authority was aware of these alleged cases and refused to take action," Fenech Adami said. "We neither had favour nor fear for such defaulters." – Very good Dr FA, however you failed to mention that although there were reports in the media on tempered smart meters your government failed to investigate. The GonziPN way out was always that if someone knew something one should go to report to the police. Poor people who did that, as they ended up prosecuted themselves by the police.
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Priscilla Darmenia
"We deny that any PN minister or other authority was aware of these alleged cases and refused to take action," Fenech Adami said. "We neither had favour nor fear for such defaulters." – Very good Dr FA, however you failed to mention that although there were reports in the media on tempered smart meters your government failed to investigate. The GonziPN way out was always that if someone knew something one should go to report to the police. Poor people who did that, as they ended up prosecuted themselves by the police.
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"The PN's position on corruption is zero tolerance,".Din hi l-ghajta ta Beppe ftit hilu kellu ghajta ohra ‘A big fat lie’. Kellu jiblaha ghax fl-Orrizont Deheret ittra li ntabaghtet lill persuna li kien seraq lill EneMalta li biha Beppeì’s ‘BIG FAST LIE’ spiccat ‘Big Fat Nonesense’. Nistaqsi lill Beppe, meta kienu jghidu lill dawk li ma kienux ihallsu income tax u wara jghidulhom li jekk ihallsu nofs dak li ghandhom jghatu jintesa kollox, xì’kienet? Kemm il darba saret din il-praspura? Fejn nafu jekk kienx ikun hemm minn kien ittipjat li jekk ma jhallasx jispicca jiffranka nofs it-taxxa flok jittella l-Qorti. Qatt il-gvern Nazzjonalista indaga jekk dan setgha gara qabel ma inaghtat il-mahfra. U fil kaz oxxen tal VAT ghidilna x’gara Beppe jew ghandhekk memorja qasira. Skandlu iehor lio nkixxef fi zmiednkom. Fejn kienet iz-zero tolerance. Immorru iktar lura, fejn kienet iz-zero tollerance meta xi hadd li kien kiser il-ligi tas-sewqan u quddiem il-pulizija li kien qieghed jaqdi dmiru mar il-KBIR u qal lill dan ix-xi hadd ‘Suq hawn jien’. Kien fi zmien gvern Laburista, hadd ma ghajat ghal zero tolerance, iva nahseb li lill dan il kbir besqulu fis-sunnara ghax ried li tittiehed azzjoni halli jidher kbir iktar milli jahseb li kien. Ara meta l-marmalja Nazzjonalista ghamlu stragi hdejn il Ferries tas-Sliema fil 1998 meta rgajtu rbahtu l-gvern u xi hadd gab li skuza li dak li sar sar imhabba l-EWFORIJA TAR-REBHA imma minn gab dik li-skuza kien jahseb li hu omnipotenti. Tiftakara L-GHAJTA TA MINN HU BHAL E****? Jason x’tghidilha meta qbist lill Ministru siehbek u hadtlu xogholu meta ordnajt li jinghataw bicctejn art li jiswew il-fuq minn €6miljuni bhala tpartit ma bicca art li kwazi ma tiswa xejn. Ghidilna x’hini din, tahseb li ma ghandiex taqa taht k-ghajta taz-ZERO TOLERANCE bicca oxxenita bhal din. Jidher li l-Ministri Nazzjonalisti ghalerkk kienu tajbin mhux biex jaraw x’hinu ghaddej fid-dipartimenti taghhom, ara Tonio kemm il darba rajnieh bis-Safety Helmet fil-Power Station tal BWSC (Oxxenita ohra) ihares lejn il-pajpijiet. Mur ara kemm iccekkja ghal fejn huma. Nahseb li bhala Accountant ahjar mar idur l-Accounts Department biex forsi kien isib xi frtit mil-hmieg li qieghed jinstab
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"The PN's position on corruption is zero tolerance,".Din hi l-ghajta ta Beppe ftit hilu kellu ghajta ohra ‘A big fat lie’. Kellu jiblaha ghax fl-Orrizont Deheret ittra li ntabaghtet lill persuna li kien seraq lill EneMalta li biha Beppeì’s ‘BIG FAST LIE’ spiccat ‘Big Fat Nonesense’. Nistaqsi lill Beppe, meta kienu jghidu lill dawk li ma kienux ihallsu income tax u wara jghidulhom li jekk ihallsu nofs dak li ghandhom jghatu jintesa kollox, xì’kienet? Kemm il darba saret din il-praspura? Fejn nafu jekk kienx ikun hemm minn kien ittipjat li jekk ma jhallasx jispicca jiffranka nofs it-taxxa flok jittella l-Qorti. Qatt il-gvern Nazzjonalista indaga jekk dan setgha gara qabel ma inaghtat il-mahfra. U fil kaz oxxen tal VAT ghidilna x’gara Beppe jew ghandhekk memorja qasira. Skandlu iehor lio nkixxef fi zmiednkom. Fejn kienet iz-zero tolerance. Immorru iktar lura, fejn kienet iz-zero tollerance meta xi hadd li kien kiser il-ligi tas-sewqan u quddiem il-pulizija li kien qieghed jaqdi dmiru mar il-KBIR u qal lill dan ix-xi hadd ‘Suq hawn jien’. Kien fi zmien gvern Laburista, hadd ma ghajat ghal zero tolerance, iva nahseb li lill dan il kbir besqulu fis-sunnara ghax ried li tittiehed azzjoni halli jidher kbir iktar milli jahseb li kien. Ara meta l-marmalja Nazzjonalista ghamlu stragi hdejn il Ferries tas-Sliema fil 1998 meta rgajtu rbahtu l-gvern u xi hadd gab li skuza li dak li sar sar imhabba l-EWFORIJA TAR-REBHA imma minn gab dik li-skuza kien jahseb li hu omnipotenti. Tiftakara L-GHAJTA TA MINN HU BHAL E****? Jason x’tghidilha meta qbist lill Ministru siehbek u hadtlu xogholu meta ordnajt li jinghataw bicctejn art li jiswew il-fuq minn €6miljuni bhala tpartit ma bicca art li kwazi ma tiswa xejn. Ghidilna x’hini din, tahseb li ma ghandiex taqa taht k-ghajta taz-ZERO TOLERANCE bicca oxxenita bhal din. Jidher li l-Ministri Nazzjonalisti ghalerkk kienu tajbin mhux biex jaraw x’hinu ghaddej fid-dipartimenti taghhom, ara Tonio kemm il darba rajnieh bis-Safety Helmet fil-Power Station tal BWSC (Oxxenita ohra) ihares lejn il-pajpijiet. Mur ara kemm iccekkja ghal fejn huma. Nahseb li bhala Accountant ahjar mar idur l-Accounts Department biex forsi kien isib xi frtit mil-hmieg li qieghed jinstab
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What about the other thieves Beppe ? like other departments?????????? I honestly believe that is is just a revenge for loosing the general elections. I honestly hope that next election the difference between the parties will be much greater. Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. Another thing "sow the wind and you will get a hurricane" Spiccaw li l-familji ghall Qalbhom, ja qatta ippokriti.
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These trio of worthless "bravi vavi" will soon run out of excuses. Credible excuses have gone out of stock already. Now they are turning their attention to fantasylandia, and scouring for laughs, eh sorry I meant "political justifications". Imma, for crying out loud, do they really believe we are that stupid?!?!
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Stop this farce and admit that your PN was an incredibly incompetent administration. All Malta knows it. You're doomed!
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The PN does not wish to see the millions stolen from Enemalta come back ! They want 1,000 or more consumers to be taken to court so that we spend YEARS waiting for the result which could end up with suspended sentences. And the millions remain in the consumers' pockets The only people who would profit from taking 1,000 people to court are - you guessed it - LAWYERS ! And the PN is normally associated with lawyers !!!!
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Wegibni din Beppe. X'passi ha l-PN fuq huk is-sindku ta' Birkirkara fuq il-5000 ewro li ha u ma kellux dritt ghalihom? Din x'kienet ZERO TOLERANCE jew ZERO ACTION?
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It should be that first Tonio Fenech is charged. Even if as he is claiming he does not know anything. He should be charged with negligence of not knowing anything when he was the Minister responsible for Energy.
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The PN and their spokespersons can deny their guilt till kingdoms end.They are by far guilty than they care to admit.The lame reasons they come up with do not do justice to us informed citizens who do no longer get spoon fed mithical tales to believe.Now everybody knows why the PN never had the intention of passing the whistle blowers act for the simple reason that they are guilty by association to all the coruption that is now coming out into the open.They should have the decency to submit a juditial protest to remove any amnesty when in Government to all those involved in meter bribes allegidly commited, like they did to prospective IIP scheme candidates, or is BFA too scared of loosing votes
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Mela tal pn qed jghidu li tonio fenech, il ministru li kien inkarigat mull enemalta ma kienx jaf b dawn il hnizrijiet, mela x kien qed jghamel? Jew kien ministru rieqed jew inkompetenti, inkella it tnejn!! Halluna, jitla il PL u jinkixfu xeba skandli. Ghalfejn dawk il files inhbew? Lill min kienu qed jipprotegu tal pn?
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Jekk il-gvern ta' bejn 2006-2011 ma kienx infurmat bl-iskandlu nafu fatt iehor: il-gvern kien out-of-control ghax lanqas l-iktar ufficjali imlahhqa fl-Enemalta ma kienu jghidu xejn lil 'bosses'..gungla shiha. Mela il-gvern jew hati li kien jaf bl-iskandlu imma m'ghamel xejn (xi haga li giet kategorikament rigettata) jew il-gvern hati li kien tilef il-kontroll totalment.
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What a waste of energy. These three ill faded stooges are all the time shielding their own party scandals by enforcing their stupid arguments to divert attention from the real problem. They are never aware of what happened during their administration as if only true knowledge and acceptance of such knowledge that one is to be considered guilty. The Ministerial responsibility goes beyond visible matters and this is what accountability is all about. A real shame and yet these three disgusting puppets keep on with their show. They keep reminding me of a good programme on TV quite some time back.....some mothers do have them.
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SHAME ON YOU FOR A MILLION TIMES !! Iz-zejt jitla f-wicc l-ilma, u issa kullhadd jghaf li il-PN = tahwid, dejn, tgerfix,tbazwir, u kummiedji.
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Qamu mir-raqda wara 25 sena? Huma jistghu jiddettaw lill- Pulizijia x'ghadhom jaghmlu? Vera tilfu l- boxla u kull kredibilita. Li gara tahthom tort ta haddiehor ukoll! Pull the other one!
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Igor P. Shuvalov
"PN government unaware of Enemalta’s 665 cases of energy theft." So each time something negative crops up, the Oppostion quickly states that it was unaware of this , unaware of that. So was the Government living in cuckoo land?
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It seems that the former administration had no control on the happenings within Enemalta. So it only means that the former administration was made up of incompetents.
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David Bongailas
Is that a halo I see hovering above Fenech Adami's head ??!!
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BFA - Int u shabek ghidu li tridu, IMMA ahna ghandha dritt li nemmnu li rridu, bhal perezempju meta missierhek qal li it-tifel qallu li Alfred Sant ma ghaddiehx ghal-Universita, u WAHHALTU LIBELL ghaliex kienet gidba. Ma ghadkhomx KREDIBBLI !! SHAME ON YOU !
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Mur ghemnu il Beppu, eh!!! Zero tolerance, IVA! TA' VERU!!!