Parliamentary Secretary’s wife appointed to WSC board, adding to pattern of nepotism

Juanita Agius Galea, the wife of Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing Malcolm Agius Galea, has become the latest spouse of a sitting government member to be appointed to a public role within the same executive structure.

Her appointment adds to a growing list of cases in which close relatives of ministers and parliamentary secretaries have been awarded positions in government agencies, boards, or state-owned entities.

Agius Galea, 43, was appointed by Energy Minister Miriam Dalli to sit on the board of the Water Services Corporation (WSC). The appointment places the wife of a senior government official on the board of a major public corporation overseen by a Cabinet colleague of her husband.

In addition to her role at WSC, Agius Galea also holds a position within ClearFlowPlus, a subsidiary of the Water Services Corporation. It remains unclear whether she receives financial compensation for this role in addition to the honoraria paid to WSC board members.

Agius Galea is a medical doctor specialising in anaesthesia.

While she has an established private medical practice, there is no evidence of professional experience or expertise in water management, utilities regulation, or the operational remit of the Water Services Corporation.

Her appointment follows a familiar pattern repeatedly exposed by The Shift, in which the relatives and partners of ministers are placed in public roles.

Under the ministerial code of ethics, ministers and parliamentary secretaries are prohibited from appointing close family members. This restriction has increasingly been bypassed through a system of cross-appointments, in which ministers appoint the relatives of their cabinet colleagues.

Agius Galea’s appointment places her alongside a growing list of politically connected spouses and partners who have been granted public positions.

These include Joanne Galdes, wife of Housing Minister Roderick Galdes; Maxilene Bonett, wife of Transport Minister Chris Bonett; Claudia Cuschieri, partner of Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul; former partners of Culture Minister Owen Bonnici; and Amanda Muscat, wife of former tourism minister Clayton Bartolo, among others.

Other cases go beyond spouses. Ministers have also appointed their children and other relatives to senior or lucrative public roles.

Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo’s daughter, Simona Refalo, was appointed to the board of Malta MedAir, while his son, Andre Refalo, was recruited by Heritage Malta.

The son of former deputy prime minister Chris Fearne was awarded a senior role at the Medicines Authority, alongside jobs for Labour MP Romilda Baldacchino Zarb and the wife of Labour MEP Daniel Attard.

Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela appointed his brother’s wife as his private secretary shortly after taking office.

Even members of the Opposition have done the same. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, appointed her brother-in-law as her chief of staff (Head of Cabinet). Tabone manages her office as President of the European Parliament, a role that he has held since Metsola’s election, previously serving as Head of her MEP office and Private Office.

As The Shift has consistently reported, the list continues to expand and now includes dozens of siblings, cousins, partners, and extended family members of politicians – often paid from public funds.