‘Had hospitals case not been opened, this massive fraud would have continued till today’ – Delia

PN MP Adrian Delia said that had he not opened a court case against the Vitals and Steward Healthcare deal, then this ‘massive’ fraud would have continued until today.

Delia spoke after Monday’s court hearing on the appeal of the case that led to Maltese and Gozitan people winning back the three public hospitals that the Labour government had given to Vitals and later to Steward.

He said that for years, government has been defending these fraudulent contracts.

A statement by the PN said that after the court verdict was delivered, the government reluctantly decided not to continue defending Vitals and Steward politically.

“Consequently, they made another U-turn by aligning themselves with Delia’s position, as they should have done at the start. These U-turns are costing people dearly, with this particular case amounting to millions,” it said.

During Monday’s session, all parties presented their arguments before the final verdict on 23 October 2023.

Delia said that it is expected that there will be a final and definitive justice regarding what he described as the fraudulent contract.

“Meanwhile, the focus will shift towards how to recover the funds and hold those responsible accountable,” he said.

Delia questioned what government will do and who will take responsibility, especially for the €400 million that Maltese taxpayers are expecting back.

In court, it was revealed that government never gave any notice to Vitals and Steward, despite knowing that they hadn’t fulfilled their obligations.

“Now, even officials from Steward themselves are admitting that government has left them. On the other hand, not only is government still refusing to take responsibility, but they seem eager to claim credit for what the court has declared,” the PN said.

“The people are noticing that had this case not been opened, this massive fraud would have continued until today,” Delia said.

The case which had been filed by Delia in 2018 had asked the courts to declare the agreement between the government of Malta and Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) – since then superseded by Steward Health Care – null and void, arguing that the concessionaire had failed to adhere to obligations laid down in the contract. 

The court annulled the government’s deal to privatise the three hospitals in a damning ruling last February, returning the three hospitals to government.