The Siggiewi Local Council will be reviewing its finances through an independent audit, after former PN councillor Francine Farrugia was arrested on charges of fraud and embezzlement at MCAST.

Farrugia who worked as a finance manager at MCAST and who was a Nationalist Party local councillor and one-time general election candidate, was last Thursday charged with misappropriating €2.3 million from the school, using them to buy property, luxury cars, and clothing spending sprees.

She resigned from the Local Council and all her roles within the PN last week and was suspended by MCAST the following day.

The Council held an emergency meeting on Monday, where it approved a motion put forward by minority leader Christopher Farrugia, to have an independent audit on the Council’s finances throughout Farrugia’s tenure, which starts from July 2019 to 7 August 2025, which will be published in full.

In the motion, the Council also condemned “any type of abuse, theft, fraud, and lack of transparency or accountability by those elected by the people.”

Christopher Farrugia said that the aim was not to point fingers, but trying to address residents’ concerns and give them peace of mind on the Local Council’s finances.

Farrugia contested the 2022 general election for the PN on the fifth and sixth districts but was not elected.  She served as a local councillor in Siggiewi, where the PN holds a majority.  She has now resigned her seat, which will result in a casual election for her to be replaced.