Music teachers sue examiner over unaccredited certificates

Twenty classically-trained professional musicians have filed a judicial protest against a woman whom they claim has issued "worthless" certificates from an unaccredited music school.

The judicial protest, filed before the First Hall of the Civil Court today by lawyer Bernard Grech on behalf of Karen Vin Camilleri, Mary Rose Buhagiar, Penelope Vassallo, Rebecca Toledo, Daniela Schembri Denise Barbara, Bernice Avallone Balzan, Mario Vassalo , Christine Fava and Maria Grazia Grech against Rita Micallef, accuses her of fraudulently accepting regular payment for music examinations, both from the complainants as well as from thousands of their music students.

The protests states that Micallef, who goes by her maiden name, Psaila, would accept payment for conducting examinations on behalf of a musical institution under the name “LSM” which the plaintiffs say had not been set up correctly and was not recognised locally or abroad. It alleges that the woman would “always say that the school was in the process of being accredited,” but that this was later found to not be the case.

The revelation had led to serious setbacks in the plaintiffs' musical careers as well as causing “serious indirect financial losses,” they claim.

The protest calls upon Micallef to take the necessary measures to correct the situation within two weeks or face a court action for damages.