San Andrea School Principal Suspends Herself ‘To Set A Good Example’ In Wake Of Millions Mismanaged Claims
The principal of a prominent Maltese school has suspended herself in the wake of claims that her school mismanaged millions of euros in funds.
“I feel I need to step aside in order to set a good example in corporate good governance, and in order to take legal action to defend my name and reputation which I have worked extremely hard to build over the years,” Stefania Bartolo said in a letter sent to students’ parents.
Bartolo has worked with the school for around 19 years, becoming principal in May this year. A meeting for school educators and parents is scheduled for this evening, the Times of Malta reported.
Her self-suspension comes as the school launched an independent inquiry in the claims against it.
The alleged financial revelations came after a former assistant head Trevor Templeman revealed claims of financial mismanagement ranging up to over €4 million.
Templeman claimed that former chairperson Kevin Spiteri allegedly defrauded the school of over €200,000 in “miscellaneous” transactions, while a separate former member of staff was paid €25,000 to keep quiet.
He is allegedly said to have received this information from the school principal Stefania Bartolo and head of finance Leanne Spiteri in the presence of other employees, according to MaltaToday.
He sent a recording with a testimony he gave to the school board last month to parents of San Andrea students allegedly detailing the meeting he had with Bartolo and Leanne Spiteri, along with the aftermath that led to his resignation.
Templeman resigned from the school he had worked at for 20 years in October after he allegedly presented the financial mismanagement claims to the school’s board members and board of trustees and was subsequently intimidated.
He also claims that Kevin Spiteri demanded for his children’s school fees to be waived and that there was an allegedly suspicious contract to rent a property belonging to a person linked to the school.
This has unsurprisingly garnered a furious reaction from staff members and clients of the school, with many parents of former pupils informally accusing the school of being indebted to them.
What do you make of her self-suspension?
READ NEXT: Rota: Msida Creek Project 'Missing Essential Links And Lack Of Cycling Lanes'
