Abela silent on Muscat amid ongoing investigation

Prime Minister Robert Abela did not provide any comments regarding Joseph Muscat's association with VGH Europe and the controversial hospitals deal.

Instead, he emphasised the importance of “allowing the investigations to proceed without any interference.” 

Speaking to Times of Malta on Saurday, Abela expressed his belief that his statements should not influence the ongoing investigative process.

While declining to elaborate further, Abela emphasised his responsibility as the prime minister to avoid contributing to any further confusion. 

He also accused certain members of the Opposition of attempting to manipulate the process by taking the matter to court. 

On Thursday Morning Nationalist MP Mark Anthony Sammut submitted four volumes of documentation to Magistrate Gabriella Vella, who is leading the inquiry into the hospitals deal. 

The MP said that an individual claiming to be privy to the obscure dealings in the Steward hospitals deal has approached him with evidence that suggests fraud.

Abela’s allusion made reference to this presentation, claiming that this "new evidence" is in an attempt to “condition” the court’s process.

These were Abela’s first comments since an investigation by the Times of Malta, The Shift News, and OCCRP revealed that police are probing Muscat’s bank accounts and income declarations in connection to corruption in the hospitals’ deal.

Investigators suspect that his consultancy contract with Swiss company SpringX Media could have been used to disguise payments from the deal.

Muscat received consultancy payments from SpringX Media and Accutor Consulting, both registered at the same Swiss address.

However, in comments to MaltaToday, Muscat denied wrongdoing in the wake of such revelations.

“I do not fear arrest… this is a frame-up,” Muscat insisted.

He said all work he did for Accutor was documented and above board.

He did not explain how the same company received funds from Steward Healthcare, the American company that bought the hospitals concession when VGH went belly up.