Government will respect institutions’ decisions on hospitals concession, former Labour mayor insists

Government will respect any decision taken by the country’s institutions on the hospitals contract, former Labour mayor Daniel Attard has said.

"We're definitely not going to act judge, jury and executioner. We respect our institutions and we respect their conclusion," Attard said on Saviour Balzan’s Xtra on Monday evening.

The former mayor, who is touted to be one of the Labour Party’s candidates for the MEP elections next year, was answering questions made by Balzan on whether the government would be ready to accept the courts’ conclusions on whether an individual with ties to the party is linked to any criminal action.

The panel was discussing latest revelations on the hospitals deal, after a joint investigation revealed former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is being probed by the police or his consultancy contract with a Swiss company that could have been used to disguise payments from the Vitals-Steward hospitals deal.

It also discussed the third National Audit Report tabled in parliament last week, which among other findings revealed Konrad Mizzi had granted VGH authorisation to transfer the hospitals concession to Steward Healthcare before seeking Cabinet’s endorsement.

Guests Daniel Attard and lawyer Edward Debono clashed on whether government had acted swiftly when informed of the dubious details of the deal.

“In 2016, it was Chris Fearne himself who requested an Auditor General investigation into the deal,” Attard said. “Let’s stop peddling this baseless theory.”

Debono on the other hand argued government tried to paper over the cracks, and did not insist with Steward to honour their obligations.

“The AG is telling Robert Abela’s government to go after the money they stole from us,” he said.