The Marigold Foundation received over €200,000 from the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Malta Gaming Authority between 2014 and 2020.

The foundation is run by the wife of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Michelle Muscat.

In reply to a parliamentary question by PN MP Claudette Buttigieg on Wednesday, Minister for Finance and Financial Services Edward Scicluna said that the MFSA donated a total of €52,000, whilst the MGA donated €170,000.

Buttigieg asked the Finance Minister whether any contracts, direct orders, donations or other direct or indirect benefits had been given to this foundation and the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support, which is also chaired by Muscat.

Minister Scicluna explained in detail that the MFSA gave the Marigold Foundation €1,000 in 2015, €26,000 in 2019 and €25,000 this year. In addition, the MGA handed the same foundation two donations of €20,000, another two donations of €40,0000 and €50,000 in the years between 2015 and 2019.

Replying to a similar question, Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said that, in 2015 the foundation was given free use of the La Vallette Hall in the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

She added that in 2018 and 2019, the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) donated vouchers for meals inside the ITS Training Restaurants to the foundation – two vouchers of €120 and €150 respectively for the use of lotteries.

This year, a similar €150 voucher was also given to the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support.

In 2018, the foundation also received a €1,000 donation from the Malta Film Commission.