Government turned down Delia offer for cooperation to prove corruption in Steward deal

Adrian Delia had offered the government cooperation to cancel the Steward hospitals concession and together fight the fraudulent contract in court but the offer was turned down.

“I offered government the opportunity to work with me rather than with the foreigners. Government would still not have paid the €100 million penalty if we had proven together the deal was corrupt,” Delia said on TVM's Xtra on Monday.

Former minister Konrad Mizzi had signed a side agreement with Steward Healthcare in August 2019 by which the government would take on the company’s debts and pay them a €100 million penalty fee if the contract was rescinded by the law courts.

The court annulled all contracts awarded to Vitals and Steward on Friday and ordered all property to be returned to government.

The PN is now demanding not only the resignation of all those responsible, but also the return of the €300 million government paid Steward over the past years.

“This money was gifted by the government, one budget after the other,” Delia said, adding that it was this money that helped Steward fight the court case against him.

“I fought thanks to the strength and brains God gave me, they [Steward] fought with the millions the government gave them,” Delia said.

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard defended the government, claiming that people “know what good” the government did in the health sector, aside from this scandal.

Attard said the government was never in a position to terminate the contract before the court ruling because this was not in the best interest of the services offered at the three hospitals and their employees.