San Andrea inquiry finds culture of bullying among former staff

However, the 73-page report commissioned by the school board, has concluded that several claims made by the its former assistant head were unsubstantiated.

The report of retired Judge David Scicluna pointed to a pervasive attitude of bullying and arrogance, and found red flags over the private school’s finances.

After hearing the testimony of 65 witnesses and wading through numerous documents, Scicluna warned that “a school cannot be run as a fiefdom”.

The inquiry was commissioned following accusations by former assistant head Trevor Templeman against former school board chairman Kevin Spiteri.

Among other allegations, Templeman accused Spiteri of having defrauded the school out of hundreds of thousands of euros.

The key allegation was that Spiteri had taken €200,000 from school funds and that his company, KJM Enterprises, had received €3 million.

Initial findings indicate that the money Templeman claimed was siphoned out of the school was actually used on refurbishment and to build a multipurpose hall.

Spiteri testified that this sum had been received over eight years against invoices provided for the multipurpose hall, employees’ wages and materials used.

San Andrea also commissioned international audit firm PWC to look deeper into Templeman’s claims of financial mismanagement.

The school has not published Judge Scicluna’s full report and instead sent out a summary to the media, and redacted versions of the two reports to parents.

Trevor Templeman has welcomed the findings of the inquiry, saying it confirmed what he had been saying – being victim of the school’s “culture of bullying”.

He also welcomed the findings by PWC into his claims of financial mismanagement.