ARMS Ltd have admitted to wrongly debiting a pensioner’s account of nearly €2,500 for two decades of water and electricity bills, for a residence he says does not belong to him.

Kenneth Scifo, 76, has been insisting for 25 years that he never signed for the account. However, he continued to receive bills and recently had the arrears debited from his bank account through a garnishee order.

After Scifo opened up to the media about his ordeal, ARMS launched a probe into the matter and concluded last week that the pensioner was in the right.

“After having thoroughly investigated the case, we now know that this account never registered any consumption and all amounts were based on estimates,” CEO Silvio Scerri wrote in the letter.

“To this effect, ARMS Ltd will waive all the estimated amounts, close the account and refund the sums which were deposited at court.”

The dispute has caused Scifo health problems and concern that his electricity supply would be suspended.

“I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, my wife feels better too,” Scifo told Times of Malta.

Over the years, Scifo has insisted he had never signed for the account and had no idea where the residence he was being billed for, was located.

During a recent meeting regarding the dispute, an ARMS spokesperson admitted to him the building no longer existed and they could not fish out the original application setting up the account, since they did not keep records dating so far back.

Scifo said he was meant to receive his money back in a few weeks and has called for Scerri to compensate him for legal fees.

“Since it’s their mistake and it has gone on for so long, they should reimburse the money I’ve had to spend on hiring a lawyer to get my money back,” he said.

Scifo had contacted Enemalta numerous times in the 1990s and, more recently, ARMS to tell them the account was not his and to remove his name off it.

He explained he would not be taking any chances this time and would be hanging on to all the bills and documents just in case ARMS backtracked.

“When I had spoken to the Enemalta official about this all these years ago, she said my name would be taken off the account and I thought everything was sorted but a year later, I started receiving the bills again,” he said.