[WATCH] Grech rallies support for Thursday protest outside parliament

Nationalist leader Bernard Grech has called on people to protest outside parliament on Thursday as MPs debate a motion tabled by the Opposition condemning hospitals deal.

"I invite you to Parliament so that we may persuade Robert Abela to vote with the opposition without amending the resolution," Grech said while addressing a political activity at St Paul's Bay on Sunday.

The motion, tabled on Tuesday and signed by Grech and MP Adrian Delia, seeks to force Prime Minister Robert Abela to take whatever steps are required to recoup the money given to Vitals and Steward.

Grech remarked how there has been no response from Abela on whether government will seek to reclaim the €400 million in taxpayer money handed to Steward.

“This is a case that only the prime minister can institute because only he has the authority to represent the government and the country in a case like this,” he said.

Abela earlier on Sunday said government will be ‘extremely firm’ in demanding the return of public funds given to Stewards for investment which was not carried out.

But Grech said on Sunday that government and Robert Abela, were blaming everyone but themselves for the current predicament. “They remind me of an animal backed into a corner and lashing out.”

The PN leader also made subtle hints on a MaltaToday survey published on Sunday, saying the Steward saga has inspired people to speak up and show Abela that they no longer have faith in the Labour government.

The gap between the two major parties currently stands at a mere two points, or 8,500 votes without attributing voting intentions to uncommitted voters. The gap is within the margin of error and a significant drop from the 56,400 votes registered in February.

Grech also stated that Abela's "no panic mood" is phasing out, comparing Labour to a "animal backed into a corner."

Instead of dealing with the matter, Grech said the Labour administration and Robert Abela were blaming everyone but themselves. Beginning with the Prime Minister's "odious words" about the magistrate conducting the investigation into Jean Paul Sofia's untimely death.

On Wednesday, Abela chastised Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia for taking too long to complete an investigation into the death of Sofia, 20, who died last year when a building under construction collapsed at the Corradino Industrial Estate.

The Prime Minister said there is “no end in sight” for the inquiry almost three months after the tragic incident, insisting he could see no reason for the delay.