More than eight people are prosecuted on a daily basis as part of a nationwide action combatting energy theft launched around two weeks ago by the state police.
115 citizens have been indicted, with some of them currently under arrest. However, the main perpetrators seem to be residential consumers.
Attorney Edvis Gorishti notes that a majority of those detained are in difficult financial conditions.
“It is true that there have been more cases in courts in the past two weeks. I was due to go on a trial on Sunday and the defendant was caught in the act while trying to intervene in the energy monitor device. The court released him on probation after finding that he was in a difficult economic condition”, Gorishti said.
Most offenders come from poor regions, including Tirana’s periphery.
Euronews Albania read the indictment of a citizen that was put to jail who had given a heartfelt plea.
“I did it because I live in squalid conditions, my wife is very ill. She had to undergo several surgeries in the past couple of months. She is a person with special needs and has to use a wheelchair”, appealed the citizen.
Energy theft is an offense punishable by up to three years in prison, while individuals who are caught two times for the same offense may be convicted to up to five years behind bars.
The Energy Regulator Entity asserts that 60% of energy categorized as “losses” in 2020 came from theft. The market price of the energy stolen in 2020, according to a simple calculation conducted by Euronews Albania, reaches up to €32.3 million.
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