ARMS Ltd – the government’s utility billing company, has not yet started investigating revelations that its Chief Financial Officer, Marisa Ciappara, is conducting a side business in direct conflict with her role.
Meanwhile, further investigations by The Shift reveal that Ciappara is ‘managing’ her property management business through an unregistered company from her government office while being paid by ARMS.
ARMS sources said that many of the government agency’s top officials, including board members, have known about Ciappara’s double role for years, which may also have involved other members of the Chief Financial Officer’s team.
However, none have taken any action due to Ciappara’s role in the governing Labour Party.
Apart from being one of ARMS’s top officials, Ciappara, an accountant, also doubles as the Labour Party’s official treasurer.
Miriam Dalli, the minister directly responsible for ARMS, has not yet commented on the latest scandal involving one of her top officials.
Asked by The Shift to state whether she was aware of Ciappara’s side business and the fact it is being run on government time, Dalli – currently under pressure due to her Enemalta woes – did not respond.
The minister also refused to say what action is being taken, if any.
The Shift revealed how Ciappara, the chief financial officer of ARMS since 2018, has been managing JPM Administrators on the side of her top job at the government agency.
JPM Administrators website now put offline
Raising the eyebrows of many inside the company as Ciappara is the only official with direct access to data about the utility bills of properties and businesses around the country, her role at JPM is considered a direct conflict of interest. This is in addition to the fact she manages the business while on duty at ARMS.
The revelations come only weeks after The Shift revealed a new ‘racket’ coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister through which customer care officials are contacted by ministries to try to avoid the suspension of water and electricity services to constituents despite overdue bills.
The Shift was told that Ciappara has the final say at ARMS on which services are disconnected and which get an extended grace period.
Sources claim that this also puts her in apparent conflict as the private business she manages is also responsible for the settlement of utility bills for common areas in private blocks of apartments, among others.
Soon after The Shift’s revelations on her private business, the website of JPM administrators taken offline along with its social media pages.
When JPM was contacted by The Shift, Ciappara answered the call while at her office at ARMS.
Asked how she was administering her business while acting as ARMS CFO, Ciappara said this was “her private affairs” and hung up.
She also refused to answer questions by email.
Discipline at ARMS is the role of the board of directors, currently led by Nadia Pace – a government appointee from Zurrieq – minister Miriam Dalli’s constituency.
Pace also receives consultancy contracts from Malta Enterprise, also in Dalli’s portfolio.
It seems that Robert Abela has shown what it takes to work 24/7.
Either from a yacht, an office, the OPM and other Maltese Institutions.
Working Saturdays and Sundays from any desk available.
These people work even when ‘relieving’ themselves in some restroom. Amazing the talents we have on this blessed island.
Meaning what, exactly?
It’s a free-for-all, so long as you profess to be a loyal Party member. Anything goes, ’cause everyone’s just as busy ‘pigging out’, as we’ve recently been told by a prominent MLP insider. Ignorance is bliss, particularly for dishonest politicians looking to exploit the sheeple.
This Miriam Dalli is no different from the rest. She is an intrinsic part of this Criminal Government where she does not care too much about good governance and public funds. SHAME ON HER TOO.
It Is amazing how everyday something New comes up, all of them involved in something start from the top through all the ranks.
X’qed tistenna l-Ministru Miriam Dalli biex titlob ghar-rizenja immedjata ta Marisa Ciappara ?? X’qed jistennew l-MIA (Malta Institute of Accountants) biex jiehdu azzjoni dixxiplinari ghal dal-ksur ta ligi finanzjarja minn wahda mill-membri taghhom ? Hemm kaz b’sahhtu li jista facilment iwassal biex il-warrant ta accountant ta Marisa Ciappara tigi revokata. Apparti li ssemma hawn f’dan l-artiklu, ufficjali gewwa l-LESA qed jirrimarkaw illi Marisa Ciappara, avolja ‘telqet’ mil-LESA, ghandha wkoll kuntratt mal-LESA bhala self employed biex tibqa tiehu hsieb l-accounts ta l-istess LESA, u dan ix-xoghol sahansitra qed tghamlu wkoll waqt il-hin tax-xoghol gewwa l-ARMS, hekk kif anke jistghu jikkonfermawh haddiema li jahdmu maghha fl-ARMS. U allura nistaqsi, x’qed iwaqqaf lill-Prim Ministru illi bhal ma ntervjena fl-enemalta, jintervjeni fl-ARMS ukoll biex jibda jnehhi dal-hmieg, li iktar ma jghaddi zmien, iktar qed jakkumula u li jidher car li beda jrewwah sew ? Kuntent il-Partit Laburista b’Financial Controller illi jidher li ilha tikser il-ligi Finanzjarja ghal-snin shah, tant li nerga ntenni, l-pozizzjoni taghha ma ghadiex iktar tennibbli gewwa l-ARMS, bil-warrant taghha li potenzjalment tigi revokata mill-MIA ?
Sack her,, suspend her .. its about time the greedy pigs realised that their actions have consequences. Too much nepotism happens on the island.
Meanwhile, workers at Arms Limited have to work like slaves!
Need a break………fast
thanzer ciappara, ghamel bhal shabek tal-muvument korrott.
THIS IS WHAT OUR INCOMPETENT CORRUPT FASCIST GOVERNMENT IS ALL ABOUT…MONEY MONEY AND ONLY MONEY!!!💯🤑👎👹
LABOUR MOTTO, “SHOW ME THE MONEY”. THE PEOPLE DONT MATTER. SHOW THEM A CHEQUE AND THE GAHANS ARE HAPPY, EVEN THOUGH. A LOT IF THEM ARE SEEING THROUGH THIS PLOY!!!💯👍👍👍