Carmen Ciantar files legal request to testify in Vitals inquiry

Carmen Ciantar has filed a legal request asking to testify in magisterial inquiry investigating the hospitals concession awarded to VGH and Steward Health Care.

In the request, filed by her lawyer Vincent Micallef, Ciantar asks to testify before the inquiring magistrate so as to “exculpate herself from these serious and baseless allegations”.

Ciantar was recently implicated in a news report by Daily Pakistan as having received several payments totalling €443,500 from Gozo International Medicare Ltd between October 2015 and February 2016.

She tendered her suspension as CEO of the Foundation for Medical Services after the report was published.

The news portal claimed that the information came from a leaked tranche of banking documents, which indicated there were at least 15 invoices submitted to Gozo International Medicare by Ciantar.

She has since written to the Police Commissioner asking him to investigate her.

The news report also alleged that the money was paid from the company’s account at the Dubai-headquartered Emirates NBD Bank. The portal claimed that the company then transferred €750,000 as a “loan repayment” into an account at Bordier & Cie Geneva, a Swiss private bank, registered to a Panamanian entity, Glotal Finance Inc., which purportedly referenced Ciantar.

In comments to MaltaToday, Ciantar flatly refuted the allegations. “The allegation is totally and absolutely untrue. I will definitely reserve all my rights at law to defend my integrity and I will proceed with all measures available at law to defend my reputation and integrity against anyone who publicizes it.”