YMCA: VO Commissioner confirms allegations were ‘fake’

In a statement on Saturday morning, the commissioner spoke of “fake allegations aimed wholly to build a frame-up and directed towards character assassination of the victims”.

Saliba used the same wording as YMCA Malta CEO Anthony Camilleri in an internal email to his staff last week, published by Bonġu in the public interest.

He said he had received confirmation from investigators that claims of sexual misconduct were unfounded and that no such incidents had been found at the organisation.

In his initial media release issued on 26 March, Saliba announced he had asked the police to investigate the allegations after he had conducted a “preliminary investigation”.

The VO commissioner’s own initial investigation was followed by voluntary suspensions of both the organisation’s Head of Home and CEO Anthony Camilleri.

Nature and quality of the ‘preliminary investigation’ remain unknown to the public, however related questions were sent to the commissioner’s office.

YMCA Malta has not issued any public statement on the matter since the allegations emerged in March.

Fired YMCA employee investigated for alleged fraud

Police have initiated investigations into a former YMCA Malta employee for allegedly defrauding the NGO as well as six other voluntary organisations.

This news was revealed on Saturday by Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations Jesmond Saliba in Andrew Azzopardi‘s radio show on 103 Malta’s Heart.

However, Saliba gave no indication what particular actions had constituted the alleged fraudulent activity.

Bonġu understands that the commissioner referred to YMCA Malta’s former Head of the Residential Department who had been terminated last week.