Felix ‘I now love Joseph’ Busuttil: a good cause to the tune of Eur30,000

Published: June 4, 2013 at 11:10am

Felix

The Finance Minister has asked the auditor-general to investigate the manner of administration of the National Lotteries Good Causes Fund, which was set up to fund special projects by “individuals, agencies or organisations that have a social, cultural, educational, sport, philanthropic or religious activity”.

The money in the fund comes from a percentage of the tax on gaming activity, and from unclaimed prizes in the national lottery.

The list of donations given in response to a parliamentary question is here Papers Laid – PQ 777

I find two of them particularly fascinating: Eur30,000 for Felix Busuttil’s YADA Dance Company at the very end of the first quarter of this year, and Eur20,000 for Astrid Vella’s Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar (when Din L-Art Helwa, a proper heritage organisation with a structure and audited systems, and several restoration projects on the go, got Eur30,000 – as much as Felix Busuttil).

Exactly why did Felix Busuttil get that Eur30,000? What project did it fund?

As for Mrs Vella and her FAA, there is no visible evidence that she has any campaign or project in hand which requires an outlay of Eur20,000 + the required amount that she must, if the rules are applied, put up for co-funding.

Was that money used to buy various megaphones? Placards? Hire a truck for her to stand on during a demo? Renovate the FAA website?

This is all so unbelievable. The FAA got that Eur20,000 under the last government. But that’s OK, because she was one of its most relentless critics.

Meanwhile, I wouldn’t even have considered for one moment applying for project-funding to the Good Causes Fund, because I could just predict what would happen if my name appeared on that list.

But some individuals really work the system shamelessly. If anything proves that Malta really was taghna lkoll under the last government, it’s cases like this, where a constant thorn in the government’s side gets Eur20,000 to play with…from the government.

Meanwhile, having told us that he’s a big Joseph fan, Felix Busuttil might now like to tell us what he plans to spend his Eur30,000 on.




21 Comments Comment

  1. N-Buttigieg says:

    Mela anke lil dawn laghaq Muscat? Maybe in more ways than one.

  2. Felix Dalli says:

    Daphne, the answer to your question is quite straightforward. He used the Eur30,000 to fund his failed US project.

  3. jojo says:

    Mhux ta b’ xejn dejjem jizattat.

  4. Giovann says:

    This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-dgTKr8BA8 is on that list as well.

  5. Alexander Ball says:

    Could you please translate the Maltese phrase ‘Good Causes Fund’ into English please?

    Just asking because the YADA Dance Company makes me curious.

  6. Paddling Duck says:

    Perhaps Felix will spend it on another purple convertible? Or rainbow colour decals on his partner’s Fiat 500?

  7. Natalie says:

    As far as I know students studying at the YADA group need to pay fees. I can’t see how a dance business needs charity money.

    So were these donations received under the Nationalist or Labour government?

    [Daphne – There are dates on those sheets, Natalie.]

  8. bingo says:

    If anything proves that Malta really was taghna lkoll under the last government…..

  9. Max232 says:

    “Meanwhile, having told us that he’s a big Joseph fan, Felix Busuttil might now like to tell us what he plans to spend his Eur30,000 on.”

    Adult diapers.

  10. Edward says:

    I now love Joseph? As far as I knew, he always voted Labour.

  11. Ninu says:

    Felix had taken YADA to a ‘grand tour’ in the USofA, complete with backstage crew, costume-makers, dancers – the works. He ended up having to cancel a number of shows there (no tickets sold) and had to return to Malta to face hefty bills. Possibly this was a ‘Good Cause’ to bridge the gap.

    • La Redoute says:

      The show was rubbish, apparently.

      • MM says:

        The show was not rubbish. It was a great show, with lots of effort from the entire team. If you had bothered to do some research before commetning, you could have watched it in Malta, where thousands of Maltese had the pleasure of watching the show. Whether it failed in the US or not, he was the first to even attempt to put on a show of that size in America and give that opportunity to Maltese dancers. Tghid he took 30,000 euros and put them in his pocket. He took a big gamble, asked for some additional help (FYI 30k is nothing when putting on a show like that) and unfortunately it did not pay off in every way.

  12. Just Jack (JJ) says:

    I am also curious as to what the Dr Klown have done with their Eur35,000. Aren’t they volunteering?

  13. haga mohgaga says:

    Is Felix Busuttil the same Felix which regularly comments in the Times’ comments section in favour of labour? One wonders….

    [Daphne – No.]

  14. king rat says:

    As a practising heterosexual where can I apply for the monies? We are getting to the stage of some are more equal than others .

  15. Investor says:

    Lino Gauci Borda
    €2,000.

    This person attended a set of seminars on Investor Education at the BOV Centre Santa Venera. (Today we had the last presentation). Where did he invest those €2,000?

    This is just not on.

  16. Chris Ripard says:

    €30,000 should buy a lot of Vaseline.

  17. Dancer says:

    The Yada Dance Company is a different entity to the school. Many of the school’s dancers end up in the company but not necessarily.

    Felix has always taken care of his dancers and if it were not for him in Malta there are not many opportunities for dancers. His USA tour by no means failed and was a lovely experience on the whole.

    I have no idea what Felix used the money for, but if it was to fund the company then thank God because the Yada Dance Company is a beautiful experience and there isn’t anything like it in Malta.

  18. CD says:

    I happen to know Felix very closely and I can say that I know for sure that the money was used to alleviate only a very small part of the financial problems that YADA was facing due to the fact that the American agent, who took the troupe to USA, did not honor its financial commitments.

    Before anyone makes any comments, one should know that funds are not given unless a true Good Cause is identified and this obviously has to be backed up by valid original documentation.

    Felix, through YADA, is always striving to bring the dance scene in Malta to new horizons and with this he is also creating opportunities and giving exposure to our Maltese dancers.

    Unfortunately what he thought was going to be a big step for his company and for Malta, did not turn out to be as he wished … not because the show was not good – in fact the show had some outstanding reviews from various critics in San Francisco – but because of a huge mismanagement from the American agents with whom the contract was signed.

    This venture was supposed to take Maltese talent out of our shores … and yes, it was a project … and the Government saw that it was a project that deserved to be assisted.

    One thing for sure is that Felix has dance in Malta at heart and I am sure his conscience is clear as whatever he does is done out of passion and not glory.

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