The Malta Community Chest Fund offered to pay for a master’s degree course that was being pursued by an aide within the Office of the President, who chairs the fund.
In light of the clarification given, all your other allegations are gratuitous
The President’s office confirmed that the fund’s board had offered to pay for Darleen Zerafa’s distance learning course from Italy in eating disorder management, but pointed out that she had declined the offer.
A spokeswoman for the President said the fund made the offer in light of the fact that her expertise would be put to good use at Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek, a therapeutic centre catering for eating disorders set up jointly between the Fund, the Health Ministry and a dedicated foundation.
“While the MCCF board feels justified in making this offer, Ms Zerafa has declined to accept this offer and no reimbursements have ever been claimed or paid, or will be paid to Ms Zerafa for the full duration of her course.”
Ms Zerafa, 37, is employed within the Office of the President as his wife Margaret Abela’s personal assistant and voluntarily acts as the Community Chest Fund’s secretary.
She is also the sister of Lydia Abela, the President’s daughter-in-law and Labour Party executive secretary.
‘Ms Zerafa should act as MCCF rep’
According to minutes of the October 2012 board meeting, which were posted online by columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia yesterday, the proposal was made by the President himself.
While his spokeswoman did not authenticate the minutes, she did not dispute them and also confirmed their gist.
According to the minutes, the board was discussing setting up the Fondazzjoni Kenn Għal Saħħtek.
The President informed the board that in agreement with the former Prime Minister, Anton Grech would be appointed chairman of the foundation responsible for the centre. He also recommended that Ms Zerafa should act as the MCCF’s representative, given that she was reading a master’s degree in precisely this field.
At this point, Dr Abela asked Ms Zerafa to leave the room and then proposed that the fund should at least pay for part, if not all, of her course’s expenses, seeing as her added expertise would be useful to the fund.
The proposal, according to the President’s spokeswoman, was approved unanimously by the 25-member board.
Times of Malta asked whether the President had a conflict of interest in making the proposal in the first place.
However, on this point, the spokeswoman argued that in light of the clarification given, “all your other allegations are gratuitous”.
Several members of the board could not be contacted yesterday, while those who replied to calls and messages from Times of Malta consistently declined to comment, saying they preferred to stick to the official communication.
Ms Zerafa said she had nothing more to add to it.