ADPD calls on government to apologise for 'disastrous' hospitals concession

The verdict of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in arbitration proceedings over the Malta hospitals concession granted to Steward Health Care is "a certificate of incompetence, contradictions, and lack of transparency", ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said.

Standing in front of St Luke's Hospital, Gauci said contrary to what the government has implied, the ICC verdict does not annul the two previous sentences that the Maltese court delivered regarding the Steward Health Care concession, which was described as "fraudulent and tainted by collusion with government officials".

The ICC decision does not cancel the fact that Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi, and other persons are still involved in criminal proceedings in relation to the issue, Gauci said.

She added that the government has yet to explain the contradictory claims being made after the ICC ruling said that Malta has been given fair value for what was paid to Steward, whilst during submissions, the same government insisted for compensation to the tune of nearly half a billion euros.

Gauci said the government has yet to explain why Steward continued being paid while it knew that there were breaches of contract and yet, at the same time, it was defending the concession. "The fact that the government itself failed to take action with regard to the breach of contract compromised the government’s very own position, so much so that this fact was used by the ICC against Malta’s claim for compensation," she said.

"It is evident that the government took decisions to consciously cover up the mess that Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi and others made instead of defending Malta’s interests. Given a choice to defend Malta or the Labour Party in government, the government chose to defend its own corruption. In order not to antagonise the inner circle, the government deliberately masqueraded as a hostage to Steward’s demands and as a result compromised the position of Malta vis-a-vis the concession," Gauci said.

ADPD insisted that for the sake of transparency and good ethical conduct, the government should, at the very least, admit to the disaster that this concession turned out to be. "It should also apologise to the people and make assurances that all individuals involved in this collusion get what they deserve," Gauci said.

She was accompanied by ADPD Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia.