Konrad Mizzi, ins and outs – Claudette Buttigieg
The list of scandals associated with Konrad Mizzi is breathtaking. He has managed to be involved in some of the most shocking this country has ever seen or heard of
Aweek ago, Robert Abela presented himself as a triumphant leader after Labour threw Konrad Mizzi out of the parliamentary group. But we all know that with Labour things are never quite what they seem.
There are numerous examples of high-ranking persons who lost their job or post in disgrace, then immediately became ‘consultants’, earning even more than what they would have earned had they held their original job. Mizzi himself did just that late last year. And we know that Abela promised continuity with Labour under Muscat.
I was not in the least surprised when Konrad Mizzi announced he would be staying on as an independent MP and that he would be voting with Labour. So we still have to wait and see what he is going to do in parliament. We don’t even know where he is going to sit!
Up until Tuesday, after his miraculous recovery from mysterious ill-health that kept him in the UK for a long period, and then his return to Malta some weeks ago, Mizzi missed all parliamentary sessions, including one voting session, except for a few fleeting minutes inside.
Frankly, what Konrad Mizzi does now may be half as important as what he has done to date. Renowned for his famous outburst in Parliament when he shouted “Istħi” and “Shame on you” at then Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil, Mizzi should definitely be the one to hold down his head in shame, especially when compared to Busuttil, who in the meantime has moved on to much greener pastures within the European People’s Party as General Secretary.
The list of scandals associated with Konrad Mizzi is breathtaking. He has managed to be involved in some of the most shocking this country has ever seen or heard of.
There are still ongoing deals which are highly dubious, and which are his direct legacy even though he may or may not be involved directly at this point in time.
A case in point is the infamous deal with Vitals Global HealthCare. What started off as the promise of a golden era where our country would offer the best medical service to anyone in this area of the globe, has turned out looking like a big fat scam.
Sadly, at the time this deal took place, the only two voices heard screaming foul play were those of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the Opposition. Daphne revealed tonnes of information about the hidden set ups. The people involved knew nothing about medicine or medical services.
After Caruana Galizia’s assassination, some Maltese journalists made it their mission to continue where she left off, often working in collaboration with foreign journalists and media houses. Thanks to them, Konrad Mizzi and his pals Keith Schembri and Joseph Muscat, plus a plethora of shady characters, continue to be exposed to this very day.
A few days ago, while preparing for a speech in Parliament in relation to transparency in the procurement and standards in the Health Services, I came across a story I admit I had forgotten about. With so much happening, something is bound to slip.
Just over a year ago The Shift News reported that people behind VGH had allegedly financed the takeover of not one but two companies, which specialise in the procurement of medicine and medical equipment. In keeping with the VGH trademark of secrecy, this was allegedly done through other companies set up in Jersey. It was then alleged that VGH had purchased the two companies for a total of €7 million, and they were intended to provide medicines and medical equipment through an exclusivity supply deal. The front man of one of the companies has since denied the allegations, saying that he owned the company and not VGH, however the second company did not make similar denials.
This second level of business created an uproar. These medical supplies companies were given exclusivity of supply and thus the allegations resulted in concern that the secret owners behind VGH might have been paying themselves lucrative sums of money.
The second company in question was quietly transferred to Steward Healthcare, raising questions about their involvement.
What is also dubious is how, as reported by the Malta Today on 27 January last year, the Ministry of Health awarded a contract of €3.2 million to one of the companies - on the same day that Minister Chris Fearne said that the exclusivity of supply deal would be scrapped.
There is too much at stake. All deals linked to Konrad Mizzi must be investigated thoroughly. Any wrongdoing must face justice. It is only then that we can start the national healing the country really needs.