Michael Stivala has given the NGO Commissioner documents that he says substantiate his claim that some businesses use voluntary organisations to damage their competitors.
Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations Jesmond Saliba is currently reviewing the information, which he said pertains to some specific e-NGOs and a number of cases.
The review was sparked by claims Stivala made in a Times of Malta interview last week, which prompted anger within the voluntary sector and a challenge by the NGO Commissioner to provide evidence to back the claims within 48 hours.
Stivala alleged that a number of developers used NGO campaigns to their advantage, funding their opposition to certain projects in an attempt to derail the competition.
In the interview, the MDA boss said that “almost all” NGOs take such money “almost all the time”, but declined to enter into specifics as he said he did not have “100 per cent proof”.
The claims, which Stivala had already made once before, prompted anger and denials from the NGO community and a challenge by the sector’s regulator, Jesmond Saliba.
Stivala and Saliba issued a joint statement on Saturday morning to state that a probe into the claims was under way. In a covering note accompanying the claims, Stivala said he had full confidence in the Commissioner.
“You have all the necessary powers to investigate the claims I made and where such claims can possibly affect the credibility of the sector you will take the necessary action,” the MDA boss and developer said.
Stivala said he would consider the commissioner’s results as “final”.
“I am sure that if there are issues which needs to be addressed or referred to competent authorities you will do so,” he added.
Stivala has also pledged to help Saliba investigate “other specific cases which the Commissioner received in the last days”.
Those cases were also “backed up by evidence which are indicative of possible influence from those who operate in the sector the MDA represents which maliciously abuse e-NGOs in their aims and purpose,” Stivala believes. Commissioner Saliba confirmed that Stivala’s claims are in relation to specific e-NGOs and a number of different cases.
Stivala said his statement referred to “some” eNGOs, not all of them. He also pledged to avoid any other public statements about the matter until the investigation is complete.
Commissioner Saliba reiterated his commitment to safeguard the credibility of each player in sector, whether it is a civil society organisation, a not-for-profit service provider or a voluntary organisation.