In recent days, the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life unleashed a so-called “report” on the secondment of public employees to voluntary organizations. This hatchet job shamelessly zeroed in on the Marigold Foundation, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and his wife, Michelle Muscat, while conveniently ignoring broader systemic issues.
The media frenzy around this report has been predictable, but as always, the real story—the ugly truth has been buried deep. Over the coming days, we’ll drag these secrets into the light, starting with the most glaring omission: Who was the real puppet master pulling the strings behind this politically motivated smear?
That would be none other than Charles Polidano, the Director General in the Commissioner’s office, a man infamous for his blatant Nationalist sympathies and handpicked by the first Commissioner, ex-Nationalist Parliamentary Secretary George Hyzler.
Under the Nationalist rule, as an advisor to the Head of the Civil Service, Polidano helped draft the much-touted Freedom of Information Act, which sailed through Parliament in 2008. But did the Nationalists, those self-proclaimed champions of transparency, rush to implement it? Hardly. They let it gather dust on the shelf for four excruciating years, only dusting it off in September 2012, right before the GonziPN government’s inevitable collapse. Talk about preaching openness while practicing obstruction! Once Labour took power in 2013, that same Act was weaponized, often abusively, to pry into government affairs, proving Polidano’s “masterpiece” was more tool for harassment than genuine reform.
Now, ensconced in his role at the Standards Commissioner’s office, Polidano orchestrates reports like this one, dripping with bias and selective outrage. It’s no coincidence that this “investigation” targets the Muscats and their charitable work, while glossing over the PN’s own history of cronyism and delays.
Stay tuned as we peel back more layers of this farce.
