‘International criminal’: Delia tears into Steward ‘ambassador' Joseph Muscat

Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia has branded former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat an “international criminal” after reports emerged of efforts by Steward Health Care to secure government contracts in other countries.

Speaking in Santa Luċija, Delia referred to two reports – one from North Macedonia and the other from Albania – that mentioned Steward’s links to “disgraced former Maltese PM” Joseph Muscat.

“First he robbed you and now he is trying to rob people around the world – Muscat is an international criminal,” Delia charged.

Referring to the latest leaders’ trust rating survey, Delia said PM Robert Abela might enjoy greater popularity and power, “but I challenge you to use that power and terminate this contract immediately, and investigate Muscat and all those linked to this deal through which the Maltese are being robbed.”

On Saturday, the Opposition leader published the procurement and evaluation report which led to Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) being awarded the 30-year concession to run three state hospitals. The concession

These people had a duty to ensure that the Maltese would get the best healthcare in the world in return for the €2 billion they are paying

was later transferred to Steward Health Care.

The evaluation board included “an engineer handpicked by Konrad Mizzi, a top Nexia BT official and a person who is very close to the General Workers’ Union,” Delia said.

Joseph Muscat and Konrad Mizzi had kept the report hidden but the Opposition published it for everyone to see.

“These people had a duty to ensure that the Maltese would get the best healthcare in the world in return for the €2 billion they are paying. We could have built several hospitals with the same amount.” Instead, the government found a company with no experience in healthcare and gave it three state assets and the land on which they are built.

Contractual agreements had not been honoured, he said. “They were bound to invest €180 million in the first few years. They took the money but did nothing. They are thieves.”

Then Steward came, and they did even less than VGH, Delia continued. “I have spoken to many people who work at the three hospitals – Steward has not spent a single euro.”

The Opposition leader challenged the PM, the Finance Minister and the Health Minister to “tell us where our money has gone, today.”

The government has been paying the company millions every year, and now “they have sent their ambassador, Joseph Muscat, to ask for an additional €70 million.”

Delia said the easiest thing for the Opposition to do would be to give up but, instead, it will step up the fight against all these wrongs.

The Opposition leader also blasted the government after a recent report found that Malta ranks last in the EU with regard to renewable energy use. “The government does not care about all the people suffering from respiratory disease,” he said, adding that Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg “has chopped down every tree he found.”

The PN, Delia said, would make renewable energy its absolute priority.