The European Commission yesterday filed a judicial letter in the Maltese courts against YMCA Valletta requesting the refund of €17,498.67 in EU funds.

In the letter filed in the First Hall of the Civil Court, the Commission said that the YMCA had been ordered to pay e17,498 following a judgement handed down in July.

The letter stated that, in 2001, YMCA Valletta had applied for two grants to set up two projects called Supporting the Homeless and Violence and Under-Privileged Young People. The Commission granted e13,539 in February 2001 and e6,672 in January 2002.

Among the conditions imposed on by the Commission was the compiling of a final report on the two projects.

In 2003 and 2004, the Commission had requested clarifications about the submitted final reports submitted by the YMCA but did not receive any reply.

However, in August 2004, the Commission decided that there were certain expenses claimed by the YMCA that were ineligible and allocated a final subsidy of e1,169 for one project and e4,080 for the other.

Furthermore, the Commission told the YMCA that it requested a refund of the original sum but did not receive any money.

The letter also explained that, in July, the Commission had ordered the YMCA to refund a total of e17,498.67 and called on the organisation to refund the full amount.

Dr Mark A. Mifsud Cutajar and Dr Italo R. Ellul signed the judicial letter.