The wife of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat, while regularly parading her ill-gotten wealth on social media, continues to acquire taxpayer money through her ‘charity’ organisations.
She received €6,000 for her two ‘charities’ from the Civil Society Fund, which is essential to many non-governmental organisations to pursue their work.
The amount that her organisations – Marigold Foundation (€3,223) and the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support (€2,753) – received top the funds allocated last year.
Meanwhile, organisations doing critical work in the community without having the kind of backup Michelle Muscat had to set up her organisations, received far less.
Human rights organisation aditus received only €416, and Hospice Malta, which supports cancer patients, got a mere €115. Victim Support Malta, helping the victims of crime, received €920.
For these organisations and others, the grant is critical for their continued operations. In contrast, Michelle Muscat’s Marigold Foundation was funded by Bank of Valletta, in which the government is the majority shareholder.
This happened while her husband was prime minister until he was forced to resign in disgrace. But before he did, she acquired the charity for a mere €100, despite BOV spending hundreds of thousands on her organisation.
And it continues to be a promotional platform for Muscat when she is not busy promoting her lavish lifestyle on social media.
In 2022, she spent more than double the amount of funds received by the Marigold Foundation on events rather than donations to other organisations despite the Foundation’s stated goal of supporting the philanthropic NGO sector by allocating donations to those in need.
Between 2017 and 2019, more than €300,000 in taxpayer funds were donated to the Foundation, with more than half a million euro in public funds having been donated since her husband became prime minister in 2013.
The Foundation spent 66% of its yearly income on events, primarily promotional opportunities for the former prime minister’s wife.
The government (using taxpayer funds) has been the single largest donor to the foundation. In addition, several government employees selected by Muscat have been seconded to work full-time for Michelle Muscat, paid by taxpayers.
Joseph Muscat and Michelle Muscat have had their assets frozen (€30 million) as the former prime minister has been charged with bribery, fraud, and money laundering, among other charges. Yet it does not seem to have impinged on their lifestyle, adding to suspicions of hidden assets.
Dubai is a very popular place with the Muscats.
The Civil Society Fund is intended to provide financial assistance to civil society to facilitate affiliation, training and participation in European and international groups.
Civil society encompasses non-governmental organisations (voluntary organisations), grassroots organisations, cooperatives, trade unions, professional associations, universities, and independent foundations.