I have nothing to say - Muscat’s no comment on Steward-OPM meeting

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has refused to comment on his presence last week at a meeting between the Office of the Prime Minister and Steward Healtchare – the concessionaire running three former state hospitals.

Approached by The Malta Independent, Muscat said he had “nothing to comment” about the report, as he walked to his waiting car.

On Sunday, this newsroom reported that Muscat’s presence at the meeting had raised eyebrows. Steward Healthcare is requesting a renegotiation of its 30-year-concession, with sources saying the company is requesting additional government funding. The OPM said Muscat and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne had introduced a Steward representative to Prime Minister Robert Abela.

Sources said Muscat was in favour of the hospitals contract being renegotiated, but Fearne has refused to endorse the proposed changes. The Deputy Prime Minister, in fact, told Cabinet during a meeting the following day that he would not sign a renegotiated contract.

Attempts to reach Muscat on Saturday proved futile.

PM Robert Abela leaves all options open in Steward deal renegotiation

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Robert Abela told MaltaToday that he is leaving all options open as the government renegotiates a deal with Steward Healthcare on the privatisation of three public hospitals.

Speaking to the paper, Abela said he is doing a thorough stocktake of the situation. He said that he is open to all situations and does not exclude anything, including Steward’s withdrawal or that of the government.

He described the meeting, which was facilitated by his predecessor Joseph Muscat, as an “introductory rendezvous” with Steward.

“Joseph Muscat, together with Chris Fearne, introduced me to them. There was an introductory meeting that only lasted a few minutes… there might be negotiations to revisit the contract, there might be various changes, whether the contract remians in place, is revoked by government or by Steward, or whether the conditions of said contract are renegotiated,” Abela said.

Abela said that Muscat had not represented Steward in any way when he facilitated the meeting with his successor and the healthcare giant.

“It’s not true that Joseph Muscat was representing Steward because otherwise I would not have attended that meeting… I don’t feel comfortable with someone who was Prime Minister and who is now a backbencher being present for a meeting of this kind… in fact, he wasn’t… his involvement was simply as a way of introducing me,” Abela said.