Siġġiewi sub-post office owned by Francine Farrugia 'temporarily closed'

A sub-post office located in a shop owned by former PN Siġġiewi councillor Francine Farrugia will temporarily close from Friday to August 23, MaltaPost has announced.

MaltaPost made the announcement hours after Farrugia was arraigned in court charged with embezzling €2.3 million from MCAST.

The sub-post office, based at il-Maktar Gift Box at 179 Triq it-Tabib Nikol Zammit, also serves as a gift and printing shop offering bookkeeping services. MaltaPost did not say whether the closure was linked to the court proceedings. 

Farrugia, who worked as a finance manager at MCAST, was charged with money laundering, embezzlement, fraud, misappropriation, and computer misuse. The court denied her bail and issued a freezing order on her assets.

She has since resigned from all roles within the Nationalist Party and from her position on Siġġiewi council.  

Maltapost said that during the closure period, postal services will be provided from the Żebbug Post Office at Triq Sciortino.

Francine Farrugia was a candidate for the Chamber of SMEs executive council in 2024. Image: Facebook/Malta Chamber of SMEs

In March last year, Farrugia had contested the elections for the Malta Chamber of SME’s council. During her campaign, she was described as an “entrepreneur in the retail sector and owner of Il-Mafkar Gift Box start-up”.

She was running for the SME Chamber council executive to “offer her services in representing business owners”. She was not elected to the council.

Farrugia has resigned all her roles within the Nationalist Party after tearfully pleading not guilty to charges of money laundering, embezzlement, making a false declaration, fraudulently altering documents, fraud, misappropriation and computer misuse. 

Farrugia worked as a finance manager at MCAST. She had also unsuccessfully contested the 2022 general election and served as youth mayor of Siġġiewi.

The court upheld a request for a freezing order on Farrugia's assets. Bail was denied.