A former Pjazza Teatru Rjal general manager has been found guilty of misappropriation of funds and was conditionally discharged by the courts.

44-year-old Jason Masini from Mosta was the general manager of Teatru Rjal between 2013 and 2015. He was dismissed two years into the job as there were suspicions that he had misappropriated ticket earnings, money which belonged to the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.

Evidence presented before the Court of Magistrates showed how funds generated through ticket sales relative to theatrical events had been transferred by Ticket Line company to a personal account of the accused. In August 2014, the general manager was furnished with a VAT number and instructed to deposit theatre funds in a separate account thus keeping them distinct from his own, the court heard.

Suspicion arose with three particular bank movements sparking off investigations into the manager’s handling of theatre funds.

In December 2014, a part-payment for MCCA by the online ticketing agency, amounting to €8,000, was deposited into Masini’s personal account. The money was withdrawn by the holder on that very same day.

A month later, the sum of €1,000 was deposited and another €10,000 deposit emerged in January 2015. The manager received formal notice to keep away from Pjazza Teatru Rjal property in June 2015. The accused argued that the funds were being transferred and withdrawn to pay an employee. Evidence presented in court confirmed this.

Masini also said that he himself had gone entire months without receiving his pay during his employment term.

Presiding over the case, magistrate Josette Demicoli said that although it was “certainly not right and just for a worker not to be paid his dues,” the accused should have sought appropriate legal remedies to address the issue.

The man was found guilty of using the Council’s funds for personal use and while considering that the money was given back before the start of proceedings, the court handed a conditional discharge of two years.

Inspector Anna Marie Xuereb led the prosecution.