Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/697149
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JUNE 2016 26 Letters Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Montanaro, Drama Outreach inquiry by NGOs' commission MaltaToday has reported the contents of a letter in which the Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations wrote to DO Project about allegations made by a particular disgruntled and troubled individual with a per- sonal agenda. The article failed to report the results of the inquiry whereby the Commissioner noted that DO Project was in compliance with the conclusions of his re- port and "therefore considers the subject in caption closed from my end". DO Project categorically denies all of the accusations which re- sult from the article. DO Project was at no point found to have financial shortcomings as the ar- ticle incorrectly states. All of the organisation's financial transac- tions have always been meticu- lously acknowledged, reported and receipted and the annual financial statements have always been rigorously completed and submitted to the Commissioner. In addition the NGO publishes financial statements on its web- site in full transparency. DO Project confirms that all of the travel expenses to deliver the programme in Cambodia are undertaken personally by volun- teers and committee members and no funds go from the NGO to cover these travel expenses. In addition all volunteer groups are made up of trained adults who deliver the developmental drama programme. The role of the NGO committee remains at all times to administer the affairs of the NGO, not to oversee the execution of the developmental drama programme. A trained and qualified individual is desig- nated by the NGO to coordinate the delivery of the programme by each of the volunteer groups. The personal choice of volun- teers to travel outside of their voluntary commitments has no bearing on the work of the NGO. With respect to the state- ments made by Alan Montanaro mentioned in the article, this refers to a private Whatsapp chat which was brought to the atten- tion of DO Project committee members by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations. DO Project feels that these com- ments were inappropriate and should have been avoided. However these comments, which were taken out of context, do not in any way represent the work and commitment that Alan Montanaro has undertaken in co-founding this NGO and working tirelessly for the benefit of the hundreds of children which DO Project has assisted over its four years of operations. It is highly unfortunate that as a result of false allegations fuelled by vicious personal agen- das the hard work of hundreds of individuals for the children in Cambodia is ultimately being put at risk. Despite these attacks DO Project will continue to work for the children whom the NGO and its supporters have so much at heart. DO Project Team The most disturbing allega- tion in your article 'Serious rebuke for actor who mocked Cambodian kids his charity was helping' (19 June 2016) relates to what has been described as lack of financial accountability when funds raised were allegedly "not acknowledged receipted or reported" and that I (on behalf of the Committee) admitted that this was clearly the result of an oversight. This is totally untrue. The fact is that since the Commissioner in his investigation did not disclose his source or a concrete example of such failure, our obvious response to an allega- tion of that sort was that if there ever was anyone who did not get a receipt that must have clearly been an oversight. This is not the same as saying that there actually was an over- sight. The point is that in fact there was no such case at all as all monies in fact had been duly receipted and to my knowledge, no monies were ever received and a receipt not given. Unfor- tunately lack of proper investi- gation leads one to jump to the wrong conclusions. The allegation that commit- tee members were on holiday in neighboring Burma, "leaving volunteers to handle the project" is preposterous. Committee members participate in the programme in Cambodia not in their capacity as commit- tee members but as volunteers themselves and they do not need to be present. All volunteers start training from months in advance before embarking on this project, re- gardless whether they form part of the Committee or not and the qualification needed to be ac- cepted to go is not whether they belong to the Committee but whether they are trained. When the first group of vol- unteers, of which my wife and I formed part, left Cambodia after two weeks of hard work with street children and orphans we travelled to Burma (Myanmar) on holiday before returning home. The programme was en- trusted to a qualified and trained group leader as planned months before. What we do after our stint as volunteers, including the choice of holiday destination at our expense and in our own time has nothing to do with the work of the NGO and does not preju- dice the programme in any way. Incidentally I must reiterate that all volunteers, committee members included, pay their own travel to and from Cambodia. The selective publication of parts of a private chat on What- sapp between a small group of volunteers in Cambodia was maliciously taken completely out of context. The exchange was a humorous one between an intimate group of volunteers. All members of this group know my humour as much as they know that my wife and I adore the children that we work so hard to help. I now realise, that taken out of context and out of the intimacy of the chat within which it was intended, it may be misunderstood. Notwithstand- ing I apologise unreservedly for the insensitive comments. The truth of the matter is that: The NGO that I co-founded has mobilised hundreds of people of different nationalities and dif- ferent walks of life who have con- tributed in one way or another to this worthy cause. The families of the children we sponsor receive provisions including food, clothes and other basic necessities. All volunteers and committee members, including my wife and I, pay out of our own pocket for all expenses re- lating to travel and also contrib- ute financially and in other ways, including personal expertise and the personal sponsorship of children. The NGO also offers a develop- ment programme to children in Malta. The Commissioner closed the matter on the 31st May when it was declared that he was happy with the committee's compliance and therefore considered the matter closed. Your readers will undoubt- edly understand that the report, evidently based upon some in- dividual's dark personal agenda, risks undermining the project and the good work that so many people have been dedicating so much of their time, voluntarily and at great personal sacrifice, to achieve. At this point what keeps me awake at night is not so much the hurt that has been inf licted upon me, my wife and my daughter by your article, but the harm to the children both in Cambodia and in Malta and their families that we have grown to love as part of our own extended family and who would undoubtedly suffer the consequences of a suspen- sion of this programme. Alan Montanaro Editorial note: Readers can rest assured that MaltaToday reported faithfully the contents of the warning that the Commissioner of NGOs per- sonally sent to Mr Alan Montan- aro. This newspaper understands that even personalities like Mr Montanaro, who enjoy a hard- earned bond with the public, must be held accountable when they use this public trust to solicit charity for the less fortunate. Monstrous construction in Lija Tourists are most welcome I condemn the insinuation which Mr Robin Zammit made (Lija council opposes 'monstrosity' of proposed apartment block, Mal- taToday.com.mt 11 June), that he lives across the proposed block of apartments and that his privacy will be prejudiced. Mr Zammit does not even live in Triq Daniel Sammut but else- where in Lija, so this proposed building cannot affect him. It is I who lives exactly across the road and will be facing the block of apartments. Indeed there are already exist- ing blocks of apartments just a few metres away. The proposed building does not affect me since it will consist of luxury apart- ments which will enhance the same street. Furthermore, Triq Daniel Sammut is not in the vicinity of the Belvedere area as stated in your newspaper, and is not considered exclusively a villa area. Alfred Pulé Lija The authorities want us to be- lieve that we Maltese welcome the tourists who visit us. That may be true in many cases, but not in Tourists Street, Bugibba. I was out near the San An- tonio Hotel area for a family gathering and what did I see? I was walking along the side street that takes you to Tour- ists Street and Triq I-Imrejkba. The state of the road is the same as I saw it five years ago. What attention has the Local Council been giving to this touristic area? And what atten- tion is the Local Council today giving to this same place? Is David Thake, the vociferous radio critic, asleep? The second tourist attraction in front of me was a massive skip. Someone was overhauling his shop in the middle of the tour- ist season. And lastly, drainage water flows copiously in Triq I- Imrejkba, with people having to splash in it as they cannot avoid it. This is the welcome we give to our tourists in this part of Tourists Street, in the area where the number of restau- rants is numerous. Peter Camilleri Mosta All volunteers and JURGEN BALZAN DESPITE the manifest reluctance by all political parties to take a stand on euthanasia, ALS sufferer Joe Magro's request to have the delicate subject discussed in Parlia- ment will soon be satisfied. Speaker Anglu Farrugia told MaltaToday that govern- ment whip and chairman of the social affairs committee Godfrey Farrugia will contact Magro to have the issue discussed in Parliament. In comments to MaltaToday, Godfrey Farrugia said "it is my intention to call the Permanent Committee of Fam- ily Affairs to discuss this request by a fellow citizen in the immediate weeks before the summer recess." Parliament is expected to go into summer recess in the third week of July. Godfrey Farrugia added that he would convene a joint meeting which will see the issue discussed by the social affairs committee, the health committee and the family committee. "A conjoint committee may be called to address the is- sue after hearing the request by the fellow citizen. Owner- ship on the subject is at present within the Family Affairs Committee and I am ready to for- ward the proposition for a conjoint committee evaluation," he said. ACTOR Alan Montanaro has been severely rebuked and warned by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations after failing to provide a transparent financial system for donations received by his Drama Outreach Project, and over the offensive choice of words he used to refer to the impoverished Cambodian children his organisation was supposed to be helping. Popularly known as the raucous Christ- mas panto dame, Montanaro had a differ- ent side revealed to him when Commission- er Kenneth Wain chastised him for using offensive language to describe the children that his Drama Outreach Programme was helping. Montanaro was reported for taking spon- sorships of €275 for each child without providing proper invoices or documents to sponsors to verif y receipt and how this money was used. Drama Outreach Project, of which Mon- tanaro is its president, organises visits to Cambodia every summer for Maltese volunteers to help out deprived children. Newspaper post SUNDAY • 19 JUNE 2016 • ISSUE 867� • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY SUNDAY • SUNDAY • 19 JUNE 2016 • ISSUE 867� 19 JUNE 2016 • ISSUE 867� • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday The morning after... a historic demand from women to take control of their bodies JOSANNE CASSAR Cambodia every summer PAGE 4 YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT A debate on women's reproductive rights begins, and the bishops say no... PAGE 10 Serious rebuke for actor who mocked Cambodian kids his charity was helping Panto dame's cruel and insensitive Whatsapp remarks earn Commissioner's rebuke, as Cambodian charity's financial shortcomings are revealed Cruel and offensive: Commissioner Kenneth Wain said the description by Alan Montanaro (above) of impoverished children as 'window washers' and 'kidney donors' called into question the motive behind his charity Euthanasia set for committee debate BREXIT FEARS Businesses fear return of tariffs, and 50% increase in luxury used-car prices 12 13 Human rights lawyer Lara Dimitrijevic interviewed 'It is unrealistic to expect others to conform with your own beliefs and deny them their right to choose' The Church sends out an early salvo against introducing the morning-after pill 14 15 €1.40 23 JOSANNE JOSANNE CASSAR reproductive rights begins, WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT 'It is unrealistic to expect 'It is unrealistic to expect others to conform with your own beliefs and deny them their right to choose' reproductive rights begins, WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT 'It is unrealistic to expect 'It is unrealistic to expect others to conform with your own beliefs and deny them their right to choose' salvo against introducing the 6 7 The morning after... a historic demand from women to take control of their bodies Human rights lawyer Human rights lawyer Lara Dimitrijevic 14 15 1.40