The ‘Love, Faith, Forgiveness’ project, which is behind the voluntary scheme that left prisoners owed thousands of euros for their work, is not backed by a registered NGO as required by law.
Times of Malta confirmed with the Voluntary Organisations Commission that Love, Faith, Forgiveness was never registered as an NGO, nor is Mary Grace Pisani who is the woman behind the project endorsed by the Prime Minister’s wife, Michelle Muscat.
The law governing NGOs states that any person who makes or attempts to make a public collection for charitable purposes when not enrolled as a voluntary organisation will be guilty of an offence.
The organisation is the brainchild of Ms Pisani, a close friend of the Prime Minister’s wife. NGOs are meant to register with the commission in order to provide more transparency in their dealings. Attempts were made to contact Ms Pisani about the matter yesterday, but these were unsuccessful.
Last Wednesday, Mrs Muscat held a press conference to defend the project and demand the media write positive stories rather than being “negative”.
She acted as the spokesperson for the project saying:
“We are doing a number of positive things… the media should help us promote these initiatives. This is your challenge,” the Prime Minister’s wife said after this newspaper revealed that 14 female inmates at the Corradino prison said they were owed over €16,000 for sewing they had done since last June for the organisation.
Attempts were made to contact Mrs Muscat about the matter yesterday, but telephone calls and a text message were ignored
Attempts were made to contact Mrs Muscat about the matter yesterday, but telephone calls and a text message were ignored. She had chastised the media for not getting her side of the story when first exposed and she had justified her lack of response by saying she was abroad.
“My dear, if you follow the media, you would know I was on holiday,” Mrs Muscat said. Yet despite her return, attempts to contact her failed.
The law says that voluntary organisations shall not be established for trading purposes nor to promote the interests of a commercial enterprise.
Ms Pisani runs her own fashion label, Sani fashion.
Mrs Muscat said the project is not a business and could only pay inmates once its clients have paid Ms Pisani.
Asked this week how much money is in the organisation’s account at the moment, Ms Pisani said it currently has no funds and that is why the inmates have not been paid.
Ms Pisani flatly denied profiting from the scheme.
Registered NGOs are required to submit a copy of their annual accounts.
Inmates produced 400 costumes for the Commonwealth summit and have not been paid for their work. When asked why, the Prime Minister’s wife said, “Ask the government”.
Ms Muscat said that the inmates had received a payment for some curtains they made for a ward at St Vincent de Paul Residence last February.
She was unable to quantify how much the inmates had been paid when asked.
jacob.borg@timesofmalta.com