The Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations is looking at the position of the Association for Abandoned Animals in a new light after it ousted its president, Freddie Fenech, who is being investigated on allegations of misappropriation of funds.
"The news that AAA has removed Mr Fenech puts a different complexion on the matter and I'm being very careful to separate the individual from the association," the commissioner, Kenneth Wain, said when contacted.
Prof. Wain wrote a letter in The Times yesterday saying he was contemplating whether steps would need to be taken in relation to AAA, within the provisions of the law, independently of whatever action the police would or would not take against Mr Fenech.
The Times reported yesterday that AAA, which enrolled with the commissioner in September 2008, had agreed to hire an accountant to handle the funds and would be drawing up a report on the welfare of animals within the sanctuary, which it planned to hand over to the Animal Welfare Department.
Seeing that the committee members had voted during an extraordinary general meeting to ensure Mr Fenech no longer had a direct or indirect right to appear on behalf of AAA, Prof. Wain planned to meet the association.
"Mr Fenech was an important part of AAA but the association should not suffer as a result of the investigations. I'm glad the association is looking to the future and restructuring to get its books in order," he said.
"I want to ensure everything is in order when I meet them and it's important that until the police investigations are complete, the public makes a distinction between the association and the individual," he stressed.
The lawyer of the committee members, Claire Stafrace Zammit, said when contacted her main concern was to ensure everything was above board and according to the law. "We are doing everything possible to ensure this happens," Dr Stafrace Zammit said.
The story about Mr Fenech broke last week when five of his helpers, who for years kept silent for fear nobody would believe them, filed a police report against the man who for many was the champion of stray animals.
In their report, the helpers, who run the sanctuary in Luqa, accused Mr Fenech of siphoning off funds, being cruel to animals and making threats.
They alleged they were unable to account for donations made directly to Mr Fenech and remained in the dark as to where the money went.
Mr Fenech has denied all accusations.