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 she received over the years.
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.
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A “charity organization” built on very solid ‘foundations’, it seems!
Marigold is also on the suggested recipient list for “donations” by Golden Passport applicants in order to satisfy this requirement:
Amazing
A grifter of the worst kind, Mrs Egrant is still being supported by the state WHY? It’s time she was taken in and questioned about the misuse of public funds and other nefarious deeds in support of her husbands grand theft and corruption of the nation. Mr Gafa are you reading this act now before your tenure is terminated due to your unsuitability for such a role!
Oh to be one of the untouchables in Malta – it must be like Christmas every day with gifts being bestowed on you from every direction !
Pigs can fly
Used to being a leech and living off the taxpayers money this does not come as a surprise
Another disgraceful gesture living off us the taxpayers
Looks like and smells like……..a money laundering operation.
How are the frozen assets worked out by the courts? 30 million? It surely is not peanuts! In 6 years primeministership of a small island of malta? And I ask the salary of a prime minister during that time? Do not think that even if the full salary is saved, it does not come to more than merely a million. And the rest, where does it come from? Maybe “consultations”?
The worst kind of criminals…acting as philantropists…while the truth is that charity, if being made at all, is funded by shady means.
And the gahans tremble with uncontrolable pleasure when the empress beams her sinister smile upon them.
30 million! Eye watering!
What an unbelievable amount of money to be frozen after his corrupt leadership which did not grab the attention of the Office of the Police Commissioner during the years while he was PM, when he was receiving an annual salary of about ?68,000 until he was forced to resign.
Unfortunately, Joseph and Michelle still acting as greedy ‘champagne socialists’ will not have the opportunity for much longer to enjoy those ill-gotten gains as the growing strength of the law goes after Joseph Muscat and his cartel for their heinous crimes.
It’s GAME OVER for that sterile Russian native lying criminal who was abandoned by his unknown poor Russian peasant mother since the whole TRUTH has finally been reached demonstrating how he orchestrated the entire scheme which involved the WEAPONISATION of the police force and the Office AG.
What was the NET ASSETS VALUE of the Foundation when it was purchased for Euro 100?
Was a professional valuation carried out by a professionally qualified person or firm?
Was a professional valuation report drawn up?
Is the organisation compliant with the OCVO? If not it cannot apply for any funds!
“Very nice” as Borat would say.
And in addition to this the Easy Pink tags on the Gas Cylinders also give her money The Pink October Movember Malta Annual Campaign under the esteemed Patronage of the President of the Republic is spearheaded by The Marigold Foundation and is a nationwide campaign ongoing since 2014
michelle another crook like her husband. ISTHI
On the 5th of Dec I wrote an email to the Commissioner of NGOs since
At the end of the financial year, every enrolled Voluntary Organisation needs to submit the set of Annual Returns documentation to the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations”
These audited accounts should be available to the public and I requested to see them
I didn’t even get an acknowledgement to my email let alone the audited accounts I requested. It would be interesting to see if you as a news portal can get them
Marigold Foundation – BOV in the Community VO/0942
This woman needs to be investigated as well! Dear PM, the country needs the ‘unexplained wealth’ law to be introduced! Too many so called champagne socialists have become wealthy since 2013! Coincidence? I, and many, many others do not believe so!
Keep in mind that this is not just tax payer?s money, it is healthcare money, This has left men, women and children with ?400 million less to treat them, it possibly cost lives and pain, turning the sick into beggars to receive care and medication.
If they got it!
Muscat?s money has more blood on it than Judas?s thirty pieces of silver.
Merry Christmas
WHY IS HER HUSBAND, STILL ENJOYING DIPLOMATIC STATUS? IT MAKES IT SOOOOOOOO EASY FOR BONNIE & CLYDE TO LAUNDER THEIR BAG LOADS OF CASH OUT OF THE COUNTRY……!