Updated - Enemalta suspends five more people in smart meters scandal

Enemalta has suspended five more staff members as investigations continue into the tampering of smart meters. Another three were suspended yesterday. Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi told parliament that Enel engineers in Italy had found that some of the tampered meters were recording 20 units for every 100 consumed. The theft of electricity had been going on since 2011. The minister said those suspended included people who had installed apparatus to slow down the meters and others who had 'sold' the tampered meters. Yesterday, the minister said that some 1,000 meters had been tempered with in a sophisticated scheme. Theft of electricity accounted for 10 per cent of power generation and cost Enemalta €30m a year. Dr Mizzi said in his statement that Enemalta officials had noted a sharp loss of metered consumption from 2011. 95% of meters which were investigated were found to have been tampered, and a pattern emerged.  He said that after his press conference yesterday, a number of people had come forward with information, and he was renewing his appeal for more information. The government, he said, would continue intensive investigations and would not tolerate any abuse. He was...