Wife of disgraced former minister reappointed to WasteServ board

Joanna Galdes, the wife of former housing minister Roderick Galdes, has been reappointed to the board of directors of the state waste management agency WasteServ Malta, despite her husband’s recent resignation from Cabinet following serious allegations of wrongdoing.

Sources have confirmed that Environment Minister Miriam Dalli made the reappointment last week following direct instructions from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Galdes had already been appointed to the WasteServ board by the same minister in previous years, raising concerns over adherence to ethical guidelines.

The ministerial code of ethics prohibits ministers from granting political appointments to family members. However, this restriction has been routinely bypassed through reciprocal informal arrangements, whereby ministers appoint relatives of colleagues in exchange for similar appointments elsewhere.

It appears that Minister Dalli had reservations about reappointing Galdes in light of her husband’s forced resignation, but was nonetheless instructed to proceed as a gesture of political appeasement.

Joanna Galdes is already employed in the public sector, serving as Central Information Manager at the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, a role she was appointed to in 2021.

Her husband, a former Planning Authority employee, stepped down from his ministerial post earlier this year following allegations of undue interference and close ties with developers involved in housing projects under his remit.

While Galdes denied the allegations, he resigned from Cabinet. He remains part of the Labour Party’s parliamentary group and is expected to be allowed to contest the next elections.

During his tenure, Galdes also faced scrutiny over a substantial property portfolio, including real estate holdings in several European countries. He has maintained that all assets were acquired legitimately, citing contributions from his wife’s income.

WasteServ is currently chaired by Helen Caruana, sister of former minister Edward Zammit Lewis and a Labour Party local councillor in Attard. Her appointment at WasteServe replaced Frank Bezzina, a business partner of Labour pollster Vince Marmara, following his appointment as rector at the University of Malta.