The appointment of Jonathan Cardona as Enemalta CEO was a government attempt to hide the scandals and abuses of the past eight years, the Nationalist Party said on Thursday.

Cardona's appointment was announced on Wednesday.

The PN said the appointment was nothing but "continuity" between the Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela governments.

Cardona was, and remained, close to Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi and had been entrusted with the agency which sold Maltese passports, contributing to the country's greylisting.

He had also been among the group which celebrated with Muscat when the Egrant inquiry report was published (see photo, pictured right of Joseph Muscat).

Moreover, although appointed to head the energy agency, Cardona had no experience in the sector. This belied the government's claim of meritocracy, the PN said.   

"Cardona's appointment is part of a game of musical chairs aimed only at avoiding the shouldering of responsibility for the mistaken decisions taken by Labour politicians," the party said.

The PN reiterated its commitment to refund money paid by consumers after having been incorrectly billed by Enemalta over the past few years.