Abela says PN wants him in jail over hospitals deal

Prime Minister Robert Abela criticised the Opposition, accusing them of attempting to incarcerate him and two other ministers due to the Vitals/Steward hospitals deal. 

Speaking in an interview on ONE TV on Sunday, Abela expressed his dismay at the Nationalist Party's actions, stating that their desire to imprison him demonstrated the depths to which the Opposition had sunk. 

PN leader Bernard Grech and MP Adrian Delia called for a police investigation into 37 individuals and companies involved in the hospitals' deal on Monday. 

The court had previously invalidated the deal in February on the grounds of fraud.

“Instead of fighting adversaries by offering a better vision, instead of engaging in a battle of ideas, their only idea is to try putting us all in jail”, Abela said.

He asserted that the PN, particularly its extremist elements, had previously attempted to have him imprisoned. 

Abela recalled how in 2020, an inquiry prompted by the rule of law NGO Repubblika found no evidence implicating him in the deaths of migrants at sea, dismissing any criminal responsibility. 

“The same extremist faction” had also initiated a constitutional case, alleging that the government had violated the migrants' right to life.

The prime minister defended his handling of the hospitals deal, emphasising that upon assuming office in January 2020, he promptly assessed the contractual situation with Steward. 

After evaluating all the contracts, according to Abela, the government determined that Steward must fulfil its contractual obligations. 

The American healthcare company had sought contract renegotiations to increase the profitability of the hospital concession. 

Abela highlighted the government's efforts to challenge Steward's appeal against the annulment decision made in February. 

He stated that the government had taken a strong stance in the local appeal process and had also achieved success in the initial stages of a dispute before the International Chamber of Commerce.

Abela noted the government had pursued unpaid tax recovery from Steward and had requested the Auditor General to conduct a spending investigation regarding the contracts.