Adrian Delia, former PN leader, fronts €500,000 donation for Dar tal-Providenza fund-raiser

The former Opposition leader Adrian Delia, has appeared on a charity fund-raiser telethon fronting an unprecedented €500,000 donation by an overseas investment management group.

Delia, who in 2020 lost a bid to be re-elected PN leader, appeared at the Dar tal-Providenza fund-raiser twice. He first presented a €27,000 donation collected by “his team”, which itself eclipsed the humble €1,000 donated by the Nationalist Party.

But the Nationalist MP then made a sensational reappearance minutes later with a €500,000 donation from the 'Catco Group Capital Investment'.

Delia credited Jeffrey Farrugia, the former footballer now turned Sliema Wanderers president, as having introduced him to the opportunity to work with the donors. He then read out a message from the donors which stated: “We truly believe that no person is less than any other person… we believe that all humans are born equal… further to your heartfelt request to support Dar tal-Providenza, our group of companies are pledging the amount of €500,000.”

MaltaToday understands the Catco Group is the new sponsor of Sliema Wanderers F.C., of which Farrugia is now its president. Farrugia was recently a team manager with most major Premier League clubs. Catco’s chairman is Fisal Abdullah Alokla, who has also been appointed chairman of the Sliema Wanderers club. The Tunisian-based company is a player in oil, gas and the automotive industry in the Middle East, Africa, and the Gulf States.

The donation sent the €1.5 million collected up until then to a whopping €2 million, with an emotional Delia shedding tears as he beckoned others to follow suit. “This group of companies has also told me that this is not a one-off, but that it wants to create a structure in which the Dar tal-Providenza can bank on a regular donation,” Delia said, saying that the Catco chairman was following the live broadcast.

The fund-raiser started at 9:30am on TVM2 with all political party stations following suit by relaying the live 12-hour broadcast. Fr Martin Micallef, director of the Siggiewi institution, said he was moved by the solidarity of the donors, which altogether had contributed a total €2,531,540 to Dar tal-Providenza, which provides residential services to 115 persons with disability.

The important fundraising aspect of “Festa ta’ Ġenerożità” including appeals, telephone and on-line donations were done at the We studios in Qormi between noon and midnight. Visitors to the studios included the President of Malta, Dr George Vella, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi, President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and, through Skype, Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma and Opposition leader Bernard Grech.