MHRA president Matthew Pace resigns over smart meter allegations

The president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA)  Matthew Pace has resigned over reports that he had illegally tampered his restaurant’s electricity smart meter, the Sunday Times of Malta reports.

Pace – the owner of 47 Summer Nights Restaurant in Marsaskala and Comfort Inn, Sliema – was elected as president in August. He replaced outgoing president Paul Bugeja who was appointed as new Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Tourism Authority. 

However, confronted by evidence that he operated tourists accommodation without the necessary permits and illegally rigged his unlicensed restaurant’s smart meter, Pace tendered his resignation after just four months as president, the newspaper said.

It was also reported that Pace’s restaurant, 47 Summer Nights in Marsaskala, is subject to a probe by the Malta Tourism Authority for allegedly operating without a Class 6 permit that allows him to cook on site.

Pace had claimed that he was unaware of this, and that his attempt to rectify the restaurant’s position had been hindered by the landlord’s failure to prove him with the necessary documentation.

Moreover, Pace is also reported to be involved in the smart meters scandal. Pace was reportedly asked to testify in court against a former Enemalta employee who he had paid to tamper with the restaurant’s smart meter.

Pace is said to have been given an amnesty under the government’s waiver in exchange for his testimony against middlemen and former Enemalta employees.