MCAST suspends Francine Farrugia, 'external audit underway'
College finance manager and former Siġġiewi councillor faces €2.3m fraud charges
Francine Farrugia, finance manager at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), has been suspended following allegations she embezzled €2.3 million from the institution.
The college confirmed Farrugia's suspension in a short statement to Times of Malta on Friday, adding that an "external audit is currently underway" while not providing further details.
“Regarding Francine Farrugia’s employment, and in accordance with the collective agreement, the employee is now suspended,” a college spokesperson said.
Farrugia joined MCAST in 2019 as finance manager and has also lectured in Entrepreneurship, Introduction to Business Management, Project Management, and I-Belong Culture for the past four years, according to her LinkedIn profile.
During Thursday’s court hearing, it was reported that through her role in MCAST’s accounting department, Farrugia “did double salaries” between September 2023 and May 2025. She allegedly issued double salaries to herself, or one salary for an employee and another for herself.
Bank records showed transfers of €422,420 into her bank accounts and €1.9 million into her Revolut account.
The case has prompted questions as to how the misappropriation went unnoticed and whether the college was audited during that period.
The spokesperson confirmed that “annual audits have been carried out consistently, including over the past two years” but did not disclose their findings.
“MCAST has been fully cooperating with the authorities and has provided all necessary support to ensure the investigation is conducted thoroughly and transparently,” the spokesperson said.
Police contacted MCAST in July to inform them of the investigation and had stopped a €122,000 transfer to Farrugia’s account.
Investigators said Farrugia had bought a property in Malta, entered into several promise-of-sale agreements on other properties, and purchased vehicles and luxury clothing. The court was told she spent €113,000 at Harrods in London on clothes and jewellery during the two years.
Reacting to the charges, Education Minister Clifton Grima said he felt “anger” and “disappointment” at the allegations. He pledged that MCAST would “continue to safeguard the principles of good governance, accountability, and transparency.”