Bail Granted To Francine Farrugia Amid €2.3M Fraud Case

Bail was granted to former MCAST manager and ex-Siġġiewi councillor Francine Farrugia, who is facing charges of misappropriating over €2.3 million from the institution’s payroll system.

The court ordered her release against a €50,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €25,000. She must sign the bail book daily at Qormi police station between 8am and 4pm and was warned of the consequences should she breach the conditions.

Farrugia stands accused of fraud, money laundering and misappropriation of public funds.

Prosecutors told the court she abused her access to MCAST’s internal salary system by duplicating payroll entries and redirecting funds into her own accounts. The alleged scheme, carried out over two years, amounted to €2,337,258.80.

Investigators said the money was channelled into multiple accounts, including Revolut, APS, HSBC, BOV and MeDirect. Transactions initially ranged from €5,000 to €6,000 but rose significantly, at times reaching €18,000 per payment in 2025.

Bank records also revealed extensive luxury spending, including €113,000 at Harrods, along with jewellery, high-end clothing and handbags.

MCAST’s Chief Financial Officer Marita Brincat testified that the irregular payments did not appear on employee payslips but were instead hidden in the bank files.

She noted that external auditors raised no concerns in their review of the 2023 accounts.

The case continues before Magistrate Rachel Montebello, with the next sitting scheduled for 26 August.

#MaltaDaily