Community Chest Fund’s secretary declined President’s offer to fund Master’s degree

The Office of the President has stood by a decision it took for the Malta Community Chest Fund to fund the tuition of the MCCF's executive secretary's Master's degree course in Italy.

A spokesperson for President George Abela, who presides the board of the MCCF charity, confirmed that board secretary Darleen Zerafa had declined the money to fund her distance-learning Master's degree, dealing with eating disorders.

Zerafa, whose work for the MCCF is on a voluntary basis, is the sister of President Abela's daughter-in-law, Lydia Abela, who is the Labour Party's executive committee's secretary.

President Abela had recommended to the board of the MCCF back in November 2012, that the fund offers Zerafa the money to cover her tuition fees for a Masters degree in the management of an eating disorders centre.

"Ms Zerafa enrolled on a course of studies, on a distance-learning basis, in June 2012, leading to a Masters degree in the management of an eating disorders centre.  The MCCF board, conscious of the fact that this could offer great benefit to develop the protocols and good working practices in Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek, set up by a foundation jointly between the MCCF and the Ministry for Health, to cater for eating disorders, unanimously agreed to reimburse Ms Zerafa with the related course expenses," a spokesperson for the President told MaltaToday.

"While the MCCF board still feels itself justified in making this offer, Ms Zerafa has however, declined to accept this offer and it can be confirmed that no reimbursements have ever been claimed or paid, or will be paid to Ms Zerafa for the full duration of her course."

The spokesperson said that allegations that the President's offer to fund the studies of a person related to a family member of his, "were gratuitous".