Delia calls on Fearne to join him in Vitals fight; ‘I don’t need your guidance,’ DPM replies

Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has called on Prime Minister Robert Abela and Health Minister Chris Fearne to join him in his fight against the “obscene” Vitals deal.

Delia delivered letters to Abela and Fearne shortly after another sitting in the court case he instituted over the controversial hospitals privatisation contract.

In Wednesday’s sitting, an auditor who sat on the evaluation and adjudication board confirmed that Vitals failed to adhere to most of its contractual agreements, Delia said.

This included the lack of investment by Oxley Group via Bluestone Investment and the promised purchase of equipment, he continued.

Delia said the Maltese public is being robbed of a quarter of a million euros daily through the obscene deal.

“In view of this, I have prepared a letter for the Health Minister, who has already expressed that he did not agree with this contract. I will inform him that we now have indisputable evidence that the contract should be terminated. I will invite him to associate himself with me in this fight to cancel this contract.”

He also said the Prime Minister is not treating the matter with urgency.

Delia then proceeded to deliver the letter to the Deputy Prime Minister at the Health Ministry. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Delia said Fearne had promised to give his feedback, adding that the DPM needed some time to do this since the visit was unannounced.

He then delivered a similar letter to the Prime Minister at the

Auberge de Castille and another to Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis.

In a tweet later in the afternoon, Fearne said he would not let himself be used in the PN’s infighting. He said he does not need Delia’s advice on matters of national importance, adding that Maltese politics deserve seriousness, not “theatrics.”

Replying to other questions, Delia denied having met the Prime Minister in secret. He insisted that all his engagements were public and that he was only called for one meeting with the Prime Minister this month, where matters of national importance were discussed.

He also insisted that there is no shadow over him, when asked about his tax affairs. In an internal PN due diligence exercise, Delia admitted that he owes some taxes. He said, however, that he has already invited journalists to a press conference where all his documents were made available for scrutiny and insisted he has nothing to hide.