Updated | ‘PN wants government to interfere with Police work’ - Mallia

PN demands answers on arraignment of public official as 'common consumer' • Video Ray Attard

The Nationalist Opposition is demanding answers as to why a public official was not prosecuted in court with aggravated crime despite holding the position of head of accounts at Enemalta.

Louis Attard is under investigation into the energy probe theft. Attard was arraigned in court on charges of electricity theft amounting to thousands of euros. Attard denies charges of bribery of a public official and electricity theft. 

Addressing a press conference at the PN's headquarters, Nationalist MPs Jason Azzopardi and Beppe Fenech Adami said Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi had to answer.

"Attard is a public official and, according to the law, he should have been prosecuted with the aggravated form of crime. He is the head of accounts and, by virtue of his position, he should have stopped the crime from happening," Azzopardi said.

Fenech Adami said the minister for energy himself had confirmed that Attard was a public official within Enemalta.

"It is evident that not everyone is equal before the law. The Police have been practicing this general disposition in the laws of Malta for years whenever arraigning public officials. Why is it that this charge was not issued? How can the court find Attard innocent or guilty of something the police didn't accuse him of?" Azzopardi added.

Both MPs said it was unacceptable that Attard was arraigned as a "common consumer".

"Someone must answer," they added.

Home Affairs Ministry reacts

In a reaction, the Home Affairs Ministry said that it did not interfere with work conducted by the Police and the Office of the Attorney General.

“Beppe Fenech Adami and Jason Azzopardi expect the government to interfere with the charges issued by the Police against a number of officials working at Enemalta,” the Ministry said.

It said that the charges issued against Attard were similar to the charges issued to other officials. The ministry added that the theft of electricity had been long going on but it was only under this administration that a number of persons were caught and arraigned in court, including Enemalta officials.

“The judicial process against Attard, and others who are facing similar accusations, in of itself provides safeguards whereby the Attorney General has the discretion to add aggravations to the charge. This can be done by means of a note sent by the court and if necessary charges can be added,” the ministry said.