Community Chest Fund financing for a private practitioner
Published:
May 14, 2013 at 5:30pm
The President of the Republic, when making his ‘suggestion’ to his fellow members of the Community Chest Fund board, and also when replying to press questions today, made it sound as though Darleen Zerafa is some pro bono volunteer who needs that training and letters after her name to serve the charity and its proposed institute for eating disorders.
But she’s in private practice. She’s right there in the Yellow Pages, listed as a business (in ‘nutrition’). Go to the Yellow Pages site and enter her name in the ‘search’ box.
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unbelievable.
You’re so good Daph
And so say all of us… Well done, really!
Brava!
Admire you way of chasing a story; well done!
Thank God, we have someone like you, with guts and honesty, to keep our eyes open, to what is going on behind the scenes. Well done.
The President has really lost the plot and the more he digs in the hole that he threw himself in, the deeper he goes. No other way but to resign and make place for a respectable person.
The new person will be nominated by Joseph Muscat……so much for respectability.
The President has not lost the plot. He has always been this way. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and a greedy one at that.
This is wrong on so many levels and he still unashamedly tries to justify his actions.
This woman is no charity, the cause not a charitable one. And it seems sponsoring her studies with all expenses is just the tip of the ice-berg.
Incidentally not even the best of scholarships where students go through a vetting process, have all expenses covered.
The British Chevening in my day just covered tuition. Accommodation, food and travel are at the cost of the student. This is not a scholarship but a windfall. Her merit? being related to the President. Shame.
Very well done and keep up the good work, Daphne – you are the best.
A case of ‘charity begins at home’!
These people’s hypocrisy just pisses me off.
So first we hear all these wild allegations of how corrupt the PN is and how it pockets money here and there without one shred of evidence, how nepotism is what the PN is all about, how there is a clique, how they don’t give the job to the most qualified person.
Even people like Robert Abela and Lydia Abela were all against the PN’s “corruption”.
And then they go and do all those things in one fell swoop.
And all PL supporters don’t say a word. Which just goes to show that the accusations they make of the PN are just things that they would do if they were in power (so the PN must be doing them too) and they just want their own in office to feel safer.
Community Chest fund has become some reversed Robin Hood goldmine. Rob from the poor and give to the relatives of the Head of State.
I have learnt this about the Maltese character: The ones who accuse others of cheating are the ones who are actually doing the cheating; the ones who accuse others of lying are the actual liars; and those who accuse others of stealing are actually the thieves themselves.
I really think that is true. No wonder they are afraid of the PN. They think that the PN are doing all the horrible things the PL would do should they be in power.
You got it right about the Maltese character or should I say Mediterranean character. And there are worse traits mind you. It is why I always felt that I was born in the wrong place/country. Boy, how I hate such characteristics, together with lack of self-discipline.
This is rich. Thank you Daphne – what would we do with out you?
Can the President tell us how many other volunteers were sponsored in this manner by the Community Chest Fund?
Also can the President tell us if Ms Zerafa received any money from the CCF that she now says she refused?
Whether she refused(?) any funding from CCF is not the point.
The point is the President’s own suggestion that she should be compensated, from charity funds, for travel, meals and materials in connection with her pursuit of a PhD.
This is compounded by a spineless response by board members who are mere ‘yes’ men kowtowing to whatever the Prez wishes.
And then we get to apply for the people who really need, the marginalized, and get turned off…..
I am shocked, and think this scandalous enough to warrant his resignation.
Shame on you, Mr.President. Bla zejt f’wicchom dawn in-nies. Qabel l-elezzjoni,lil Tonio Fenech kieku setghu salbuh fuq bicca arlogg tal-lira.
Prosit Daphne, trid tkun int biex jinkixfu certu affarijiet! Keep up the good work.
Titwahhax!
Qed tiskanta, Giovanni?
Everyone seems to be assuming that the course concerned leads to a ‘Master’s degree’, because that is what the minutes you reproduce report President Abela to have told the committee.
This is not the case.
The course being organized at Todi and Pieve does not lead to a postgraduate university degree.
Italian ‘masters’ are notorious in this respect, as many will tell you.
It is not a ‘Master’s degree’ at all, but a ‘Master ECM’, a ‘corso di perfezionamento’ equivalent to 50 credits. The course regulations 2013-14 specify: ‘il corso non ha valenza universitaria.’
So it is actually somewhat less than a postgraduate diploma, more of a postgraduate certificate.
http://maltacommunitychestfund.org/mccf/Files/Upload/Forms/MCCF%20Applikazzjoni%20NEW.pdf
din hi l-formola li jrid jimla xi hadd li jitlob l-ghajnuna u wara hafna skrutinju u sahansitra jiffirma din id-dikjarazzjoni:
“Jiena, hawn taht iffirmat/a, niddikjara li din l-informazzjoni hija vera u ezatta sa fejn naf jien.
Jiena nagħti l-permess lill-Malta Community Chest Fund biex jivverifika din id-dikjarazzjonijiet
tiegħi inkluż li tista’ tinkiseb informazzjoni kunfidenzjali mingħand il-Banek kollha, d-Dipartiment
tal-VAT u tat-Taxxi Interni, tas-Servizzi Soċjali tas-Saħħa u l-Isptar u kull entità u dipartiment ieħor
li jista’ jitfa dawl fuq il-verità tal-applikazzjoni.
Naċċetta wkoll li nkun suġġett għall ‘Home Visits’ u spezzjonijiet necessarji.”
Pero ghal president din il-procedura ma kenitx necessarja u f’hakka t’ghajn gie maqbul unanimament li Ms. Darleen haqqa min jghinha…miskina.
You are simply the best, Daphne.
Job well done! Posit Daphne
Maltatoday seems to have forgotten about the story below.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/president-s-office-absorbs-tv-production-company
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Presidency-strays-from-transparency-pledge-and-ignores-questions-on-alleged-impropriety
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130514/local/president.469710
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Wisq probabbli waqqafhom Keith tal Kasco!
Prosit tassew, Daphne.
Dawn l-istejjer irid ikun jaf il-poplu min ghand il-gurnalisti mela ic-cucati.
Min ghandu il-poter jiehu passi dwar din il-bicca xoghol vera diskustanti li wettaq il-President George Abela?
Din hija bicca xoghol ta’ misapproprazzjoni ta’ fondi migbura minn fost il-publiku Malti li suppost jitqassmu lil min vera ghandu bzonn u dawn m’humiex flus tal-President.
Looks like the ex port workers need a serious look at what their lawyer has been up to .
No wonder the President kicked up a fuss when Kenneth Wain insisted that the MCCF registers as a “voluntary organization” and be subject to the regulations governing such organisations.
My thoughts exactly.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130117/letters/L-Istrina-funds-are-public.453615
Qabel kont nahseb li George Abela kien ikun l-ahjar mexxej ghal-Partit Laburista, izda issa b’dawn iz-zewg zelqiet (speech from the throne u din ta’ Ms Zerafa) bdilt il-hsieb. Din ta’ l’ahhar veru disgustanti.
One question keeps nagging me: were there other times that Community Chest Fund money was spent in an ‘irregular’ manner?
I wouldn’t know about that, but the reason why I never gave a donation to the Community Chest Fund is because it wastes much needed funds on things like “Tango enthusiasts”.
http://maltacommunitychestfund.org/mccf/Pages/TangoEnthusiasts.aspx
I would rather give a donation directly to Dar tal-Providenza or some other truly deserving cause.
You have a point, Antoine, but if you don’t have an answer to that question please do tell us why you put it. The impression I have is your intention is to only try and sow some doubt …. Hence there is a scope behind you not quantifying your statement
By your logic, one should only ask a question when the answer is known.
Let me guess, you voted Labour.
Antoine is right. MCCF funds were used to pay for airfares to Peru for toilet installation volunteers who couldn’t pay their own way.
Prosit Daph… you are excellent …please keep it up
You’re simply the best Daphne….
So, let’s sum this up. For the last two months, we have endured a ‘ceaseless circus, a ‘disfunctional kindergarten class’ and, today, a ‘Midspring Day’s Nightmare’. (apologises to the Bard).
Sixty days in and right on schedule. Trainwreck in sight.
Oh boy, one president down, or nearly so….
And John Dalli is being rumoured as his successor.
Time to emigrate, I’d say.
IRRIZENJA GORG!
ITLAQ!
IPPROVA SALVA L-FTIT DINJITA’ LI FADALLEK …
ITLAQ!
I always maintained dear Ms Caruana Galizia that there’s nobody like you on this miserable island – you are unique. If only the PN’s newsroom and other newsrooms have at least one, just one, like you!
It seems that our president joined Labour’s band wagon of “Favours without Fear”
Abela warrab f’gieh ir-republika.
What brass neck. Resign.
Mr President should now assure the public on how Ms Zerafa was selected as the MCCF secretary, who was on the interviewing board and whether there was a call for applications? Who audits the MCCF?
We also need to know who paid for the Peru trip.
Some volunteers paid their own way. The Community Chest Fund financed the rest.
What happened to the Kerygma volleyball marathon which used to be held each year and collected hundred of thousands of maltese liri for charity? The president of this sports marathon was Dr George Abela, today´s president of Malta.
This marathon was discontinued without any explanation. Shouldn´t one ask Dr Abela the strange reason behind all this and why the thousands of people who donated so much to charity were left in the dark?
There is nothing and nobody stopping prospective donors from diverting donations to MCCF to the organization or charity of their choice.
Dan hu ezatt li jridu jaghmlu dawk ta’ rieda tajba. Jien l-ewwel wiehed hekk se naghmel. U bhali hafna ohra.
The President has shown his true colours since March 10th.
Shame