After ARMS Ltd cut off his home’s electricity due to an unsettled bill, George Borg* has been without electricity for three years. The utility billing company says it is waiting for the outcome of a pending court case before acting.
This newspaper contacted Nikita Zammit Alamango, Senior Manager of ARMS LTD, regarding Borg’s case of having no electricity for three years and an electricity bill of over €6,000.
Alamango said that ARMS Ltd is awaiting the final court judgement before taking any follow up procedures on the situation. She explained that the particular case was passed on for credit control action and that the case is currently still ongoing and was adjourned for judgement.
According to Borg, the next Court case will be held 30th January.
‘I don’t want pity; I just want my basic rights’
After having his situation reported in another newspaper, Borg approached The Malta Independent regarding his current situation, saying he wished for justice and not self-pity.
“I asked the newspaper for my story to be front page news, but instead they preferred to have a front page devoted to Christmas cheer,”he said.
Borg said that reports of animal abuse and mistreatment make headline news, so he couldn’t understand why his own mistreatment of being without electricity for three years wouldn’t.
Borg works part-time earning €5 an hour, but a good €50 goes towards his lawyer for just a half an hour session, and has been for the past three years. “I don’t know if you call this cruelty, or to boost the economy.’’
He pointed out that he has suffered psychologically due to the situation and is eagerly waiting for his court case to be concluded. “I try to make the best out of my situation, but I know many others wouldn’t cope, and some might be driven to suicide.” He said that if he had medical disease such as diabetes, he would not be able to even store his insulin in the fridge; therefore the court is technically playing with human life.
Borg pointed out that the current 49 migrants who were allowed on shore earlier last week definitely would not be without electricity. “It would be inhumane to do so, they were out at sea for 19 days, so they deserve it, but for someone like me, my case has been dragging on for three years.”
He points out that the government boasts about having the best economy, best tourism and services, but then leaves people like himself helpless. He says that, one day, “this issues will come back to haunt those in power.”
Borg doesn’t wish for pity, but wants to be a voice for people who are not brave enough to speak up like him. “The court is playing with people’s lives by dragging such cases on for so long, to see if a human should have basic human rights, like electricity.”
He wants ARMS Ltd, the Courts of Justice and Maltese citizens to take a moment to know what it truly is like to walk a mile in his shoes, to be aware that there are many others in his situation and that things need to change drastically.
*name has been changed