NGO watchdog takes issue with Montanaro’s claim of ‘lack of proper investigation’

The Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations has taken exception at claims by actor Alan Montanaro that there was a “lack of proper investigation” on his part into complaints about financial shortcomings at his charity Drama Outreach.

Montanaro yesterday announced his resignation as president of Drama Outreach, after apologising for comments he made in private Whatsapp chats that earned him the rebuke of commissioner Prof. Kenneth Wain, for being “cruel and insensitive” towards the Cambodian children his charity was aiding.

“I recognise this saga continues to cause reputational harm, not just on a personal level but more importantly to the work of DO Project in Cambodia (and Malta)… I shall tender my resignation as president and as member of the DO Project committee with immediate effect,” Montanaro said on Facebook.

In a statement to MaltaToday, Prof. Wain yesterday said that he forwarded the complaints he had received on the matter to Montanaro by letter dated 16 February, requesting his explanations.

“The complainant requested anonymity which he had every right to do and to have respected. Mr Montanaro replied as follows on 27th February: ‘When sponsors specifically request a receipt on a DO Project letterhead these are normally sent. If in this instance a receipt was not issued that was clearly an oversight on our part for which we apologise.’

“It should be noted that the word ‘oversight’ was used by him not by me. This was my reply in my Investigation Report of 26 April: ‘These qualified statements – ‘as a rule’, ‘normally sent’ and ‘clear oversight’ are not acceptable. It is the responsibility of the administrators of the organisation which you chair as president to ensure full financial accountability in the way the organisation receives and manages its finances.

“This means that its records must be accurately and consistently held, and must include all financial and other transactions. In other words all kinds of funds received by the organisation through fundraising, donations, and sponsorships of all kinds must be acknowledged, receipted, and reported in the organisation’s annual financial statement and report submitted to the Commissioner.”

Montanaro was reported for taking sponsorships of €275 for each child without providing proper invoices or documents to sponsors to verify receipt and how this money was used.

Montanaro said it was “totally untrue” that funds he raised were – in the Commissioner’s words –  “not acknowledged, receipted or reported”. 

“The fact is that since the Commissioner in his investigation did not disclose his source or a concrete example of such failure, our obvious response to an allegation of that sort was that if there ever was anyone who did not get a receipt that must have clearly been an oversight… Unfortunately lack of proper investigation leads one to jump to the wrong conclusions.”

Montanaro was also revealed in the investigation by the Commissioner to have used disparaging remarks on the impoverished Cambodian children his charity helps, although the actor – famed for his annual role as the Christmas panto dame – said the private exchange was a humorous one and that it had been taken out of context.

The Commissioner was of another opinion, saying his reference to children as ‘window washers’, ‘kidney donors’ and ‘just bloody kids’, as well as poking fun at the name ‘Meng’ as ‘El Mingo’ could not be simply passed off as a crude sense of humour.

“The remark is offensive in itself and calls in question the very motive behind Drama Outreach in Cambodia because one cannot believe that you have the children’s interest and well-being at heart when you state this attitude towards them…

 “The ‘silly banter’ as you call it continues in an equally offensive and distasteful manner with your cruel and insensitive remarks about ‘Meng’ who, one assumes, is one of the boys you were there to help, and your similarly offensive remarks about the girls at the village which I needn’t quote.”

On their part, Drama Outreach committee members yesterday defended their outgoing president, insisting that the “allegations” were made by a “particular disgruntled and troubled individual.”

“DO Project feels that these comments were inappropriate and should have been avoided. However these comments which were taken out of context do not in any way represent the work and commitment that Alan Montanaro has undertaken in co-founding this NGO and working tirelessly for the benefit of the hundreds of children which DO Project has assisted over its four years of operations. 

“It is highly unfortunate that as a result of false allegations fuelled by vicious personal agendas the hard work of hundreds of individuals for the children in Cambodia is ultimately being put at risk. Despite these attacks DO Project will continue to work for the children whom the NGO and its supporters have so much at heart.”

The Commissioner also told MaltaToday that he had accepted Montanaro’s explanation on the allegation that committee members had travelled on holiday to Myanmar while volunteers helped the children in Cambodia.

Montanaro explained that after two weeks of working with children, his family travelled to Myanmar on holiday while the programme was entrusted to a qualified group leader. “What we do after our stint as volunteers, including the choice of holiday destination at our expense and in our own time has nothing to do with the work of the NGO and does not prejudice the programme in any way. Incidentally I must reiterate that all volunteers, committee members included, pay their own travel to and from Cambodia.