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Updated | Minister uses new ARMS board to suspend CEO
Three days have passed since energy minister's public call for Wilfred Borg to resign.
15 April 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
ARMS chief executive Wilfred Borg (left) with former finance minister Tonio Fenech.
The chief executive of Enemalta's billing company, Wilfred Borg, has been suspended by the board of directors after he refused to resign his post when the energy ministry issued a statement demanding that he step down over an IT error that affected over 3,000 energy benefits.
The new ARMS Ltd board has now suspended him, with an investigation being carried out which could result in Borg facing disciplinary procedures.
Former Xghajra mayor and chartered accountant Anthony Valvo will chair the board, which will also feature Enemalta executive chairman and former Lufthansa Technik Malta CEO Louis Giordimaina, Labour's representative on the Electoral Commission Anthony Sultana, and Justin Tabone as members.
In a statement, the Ministry for Energy said the board of directors had sent a letter to Borg informing him that he was suspended. The ministry added that Borg could face disciplinary procedures.
Pending the investigation, the government has appointed Henry Attard as acting CEO.
Borg today refused to comment when asked by MaltaToday whether he intended to resign. "I have no comment to make... I am in a meeting right now," Borg said, adamant not to let on his immediate plans.
Energy minister Konrad Mizzi said on Friday that he expected Borg, formerly an Air Malta chief officer for IT, to resign after it transpired that ARMS had passed on incorrect information to the social security department, resulting in reduced energy benefits being issued to clients.
A spokesperson for Mizzi was not able to confirm what action will be taken with regards to the 'stand-off' between the ARMS chief and the minister.
The Automated Revenue Management Services is a billing company owned by Enemalta and the Water Services Corporation, and since its inception has been the criticism of inefficient customer care and incorrect billing.
In Opposition, Labour made ARMS a target of its criticism aimed at former minister Austin Gatt. The energy minister has also confirmed to The Times that police had found CCTV cameras and the office's alarms switched off on Friday evening when public officials were "alerted to unusual activity at the Blata l-Bajda offices of ARMS", the Times reported.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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I feel that yes i do live on another planet, because i wore red glasses believing that a, the country needed a change b,your party's campaign was absolutely brilliant c,i really wanted to believe that this country would be run in a cleaner way, which is what was promised. I'm not here to defend anyone as everyone is innocent unless otherwise proven. We all know (how could we not) about the complaints on arms, however id like to see an official document as there is a difference between complaints on the TOM and official ones. Then again each and every case is different and one cant always assume who has the fault. I sincerely hope that the new team will now have a flawless record, but anyone who works with the public knows well this is not possible as you really cant please everyone all the time. Then we will change them again and again and again ..... Time will tell, I guess !!
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@ island fairy. Do you live on this Island or on some remote planet may I ask? The thousands of complaints regards the inefficiencies at Arms, resulting in thousands of euros in costs is enough proof that things at Arms were definitely not running fuq ir-rubini. May I ask you do you remember the never ending queues of people querying their bills ? So please take away your thick blue glasses. Yes indeed Malta taghna lkoll u mhux tal-bazuzli tan-nazzjonalisti biss kif kienet ila ghal dawn l-ahhar 25 sena
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@ island fairy. Do you live on this Island or on some remote planet may I ask? The thousands of complaints regards the inefficiencies at Arms, resulting in thousands of euros in costs is enough proof that things at Arms were definitely not running fuq ir-rubini. May I ask you do you remember the never ending queues of people querying their bills ? So please take away your thick blue glasses. Yes indeed Malta taghna lkoll u mhux tal-bazuzli tan-nazzjonalisti biss kif kienet ila ghal dawn l-ahhar 25 sena
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@jon80 ... present what you have ... writing about it will not make a difference ... stand up and be counted, show us this documentation !
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Island fairy are you fantasizing on the "Finanzi fis sod" duping slogan? How could you expect all those scandals performed by GonziPn appointed personnel to be buried for ever? NO WAY! That is why MaltaToday has managed to exist all these years. Because it is the only independent, investigative, and liberal medium on these islands. I am sure nothing will be allowed to be forgotten or shoved under the carpet.
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Is there any ONE area under former minister of energy that has not been proved to be inefficient? Arriva, Enemalta, ARMS, etc. Why was this done? Are the people involved the human shield to the former minister?
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Mr. Fava exactly what is proof for you, and article on the times of malta basically being drafted from the office of the pl ... Don't make us laugh and insult our intelligence. Lets see what the Independent investigations lead to ... Or perhaps we will never hear anything more about is since we all know well how good your party is at fabricating stories. Malta taghna ilkoll should now read malta tal laburisti !!
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I have quite a bit of documented email complaints which never met satisfactory replies from ARMS Limited, although I am sorry to hear of the dismissal of Mr. Borg as a human being.
Maureen Attard •
Malta tagħhhhhhhom ilkoll.
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Dear PM, you may wish to extend further your arm so as to reach out for other govt entities and authorities, you might be in for a few more surprises. Just consider this, when irregularities and done day in day out, they no longer remain irregularities....but rather become the norm.
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A complete overhaul of ARMS Ltd and its operations is called for. The general public deserves better. This company should be run on professional lines
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Dan jfisser li dan it-tali li bil-provi ma sewa ghalxejn jrid jibqa jpapiha ? Forsi qed jghidulu x'jaghmel AG Aust jew Tonio ic-cuc ? Min jaf forsi iridu jaghmlu xi martri minnhu. Il-hmerija hi li sakemm dan jibqa hemm il-poplu jkollu jibqa jhallas ghal hmerijiet u tahwid tieghu. Jew forsi jrid jaghmilha tal-bully ghax kieku kont flokhu kont ili li rrizenjajt wara dawk il-frejjeg kolla. Insomma siehbu gonzipn riedet tkun tsunami ta' voti biex tixkupah wara li ghamel frejjeg li qatt ma rajn bhalhom.
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The problem at ARMS is that all have been recruited under the watch of former Minister Austin Gatt, so everyone can conclude what political allegiance these employees carry. One may say that this has nothing to do with it, but this becomes obvious when you try to correspond with these employees, because they make life hell for you even to issue a bill with updated readings. As far as I am concerned I am sure that these employees have not been helpful at all.
