What the Sunday papers say…

Malta Today leads with the news that the estimate of 1,000 smart meters said to have been tampered with remains a number of pure speculation. This newspaper was told that the only concrete figure which has come out so far is the annual €30 million in annual losses from energy theft. Furthermore, the newspaper reports that the investigation only came about after a string of anonymous letters revealed that 'brokers' were advising people to have their meters 'adjusted'.

Sunday paper Illum leads with a short extract from Eddie Fenech Adami's autobiography, launched on Friday, whereby the former Prime Minister and President Emeritus says he would have confronted disgruntled party members had any internal conflict occurred when he was still leader. Although this may seem like a clear reference to ex PN backbencher Franco Debono, the latter hits back and claims that Fenech Adami was referring to Austin Gatt.

The Sunday Times reports that Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca, the present minister for the family and social solidarity, is the favourite to become the next President of Malta. With George Abela's tenure soon to come to an end, the article suggests that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is said to favour a woman for the role. Coleiro Preca would become only the second female President after Agatha Barbara held office during the 1980s.

The Malta Independent reports that the South of Malta is set to benefit from a new Kirkop health centre, with authorities having already identified a suitable site. Health minister Godfrey Farrugia said that this was part of a new strategy which would seek to redefine the role of the regional network of health centres.

PN organ Il-Mument claims that Franco Mercieca has informed PM Joseph Muscat that he will not be contesting any future elections. The revelation comes at a time when Mercieca is said to be considering giving up his parliamentary role in order to return to his private practice, in a story first revealed this week by Malta Today.

It-Torca reports that the storage of LNG is much less of a risk than that of HFO. In a reference to the news that a gas storage ship could permanently be berthed in Marsaxlokk Bay, the newspaper says that the PN media has 'dramatised' the potential risks of such a project.