Property, cars, Harrods spending spree: PN councillor charged with €2.3m fraud

Updated 2.48pm

An MCAST finance manager and PN councillor has been accused of using millions of euro from the educational institute to buy a property, cars and to go on a €113,000 spending spree at luxury department store Harrods.

Francine Farrugia, 31, was charged with fraud and embezzlement of €2.3 million from MCAST, where she took care of payroll. 

Farrugia, who is a councillor in Siġġiewi and unsuccessfully represented the PN in the 2022 general election, denied a raft of fraud and accountancy charges when she appeared in court on Thursday. 

At one point, a police inspector told the court officers had found so many luxury items of clothing and jewellery at her home that "we would fill up the court".

Francine Farrugia, right, leaving court on Thursday. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Inspector Wayne Rodney Borg said the Financial Crimes Investigation Department began investigating Farrugia in June. 

Through her work as a manager in the accounting section of MCAST, she had access to salaries and "did double salaries" between September 2023 and May 2025, he said. She issued either double salaries for herself, or issued one for the employees and one for herself. 

Her bank accounts were analysed and showed that she had transferred €422,420 there and €1.9 million into her Revolut account.

The police contacted MCAST in July to inform them of the investigation and prevented a €122,000 transfer to Farrugia's account. 

Clothes, cars, property

Police found that Farrugia had bought a property in Malta and entered into several promise-of-sale agreements on other properties. She also bought vehicles and luxury clothes during the two-year period.

She spent €113,000 at Harrods in London on clothes and jewellery, the court was told. 

After her arrest at 9.15am on Wednesday at MCAST, officers went to her home, where they seized branded clothes and jewellery, including a necklace worth €5,200.

"We found a huge amount of handbags, shoes and sunglasses," police inspector Borg told the court. 

Francine Farrugia allegedly spent €113,000 on clothes and jewellery at Harrods. Photo: Shutterstock

Appearing before Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia, Farrugia was charged with money laundering, embezzlement, making a false declaration, fraudulently altering documents, fraud, misappropriation and computer misuse. 

No media ban

She spoke only to confirm that she knew why she was being arraigned before tearfully asking the court to address her lawyer, Peter Fenech, who told the court his client was mentally unwell and that she was pleading not guilty. 

A freezing order request was upheld by the court. 

Farrugia's lawyer asked for a ban on his client's name, due to health issues. The court said the request would have no effect, since the media had already named the accused prior to the arraignment.

Lawyer Thea Lynn Cesare, who appeared for MCAST, asked for a media ban on the name of the educational institute. The court refused, saying there are no legal grounds to order a ban. 

Francine Farrugia is a manager in the salaries department at MCAST, from where she allegedly embezzled 2.3 million over two years. File photo

During bail arguments, it emerged that the alleged crime was not uncovered by MCAST but by police.

“Perhaps there was an STR - Suspicious Transaction Report - and the police investigated,” Farrugia's lawyer suggested to court.

Arguing against bail, Inspector Borg said more searches needed to be carried out on another property, an office and other residences. 

"We seized a huge amount of clothes yesterday and had to leave others behind, otherwise we would fill up the court," Borg said.

As for Farrugia's job at MCAST, Cesare told the court that an emergency board meeting was to be held on Thursday and "the direction is to suspend her".

Francine Farrugia stood for the PN in the 2022 general election. File photo

Bail was denied. 

Farrugia unsuccessfully contested the 2022 general election on the fifth and sixth district for the Nationalist Party.  Her LinkedIn account describes her as a finance manager and lecturer at MCAST. 

On Thursday afternoon, the Nationalist Party announced Farrugia had resigned "all" roles within the party including her position as a local councillor in the Siġġiewi Local Council. 

Attorney General lawyers Alessia Schembri and Michael Muscat prosecuted. Lawyer Amy Zahra also assisted the accused.