850 electricity thieves agree to pay their bills

Enemalta has reached repayment agreements with some 850 individuals who tampered with their electricity meters, and expects to recover millions of euros as a result. The agreements took various forms, and while some would see instant repayment of both the stolen electricity and a fine of twice the stolen amount, other consumers agreed to settle their debt over several months. Those who default on repayment programmes would have their supply disconnected immediately, Frederick Azzopardi, chairman of the State energy provider, warned.  Enemalta last year said more than 1,000 people were suspected of regularly stealing electricity. The government had subsequently offered an amnesty to those who admitted theft, as long as they settled their dues and spilled the beans on those who helped them to circumvent the system. Some 430 consumers had applied for the amnesty and more than a dozen Enemalta employees were suspended for their alleged involvement in meter rigging. Mr Azzopardi explained that the 850 payment programmes included a mix of those who signed up for the amnesty, cases that dated back several years and which had been lost in the system, and new cases discovered in recent...