Madonna Pays Tuition Fees of Malawian Government Official  1/9/07

Madonna is reportedly paying the university tuition fees of a Malawian government official whose colleagues aided her in adopting baby David Banda last year (06).

The Material Girl is sponsoring civil servant Willard Manjolo at Swansea University in Wales, where he is studying for a degree in social work, writes British newspaper the Daily Mirror.

Madonna agreed to fund his studies in June (06), four months before she brought the one-year-old from Malawi to the UK - leading to speculation Manjolo could have used his position to influence the adoption process.

However, the 40-year-old dismisses the suggestion.

He says, "The child is being given an opportunity."