Muscat reacts to Vitals charges: ‘I will enjoy disproving fantastical allegations’

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has called the charges filed against him as “completely made up”.

“If they weren’t so serious, the charges issued against me would be funny,” Muscat said on his personal Facebook page.

His reaction comes after it was reported that he, together with others including Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri, will be charged with money laundering, fraud and making fraudulent gain, as well as conspiracy to commit an offence punishable by imprisonment for more than four years and participating in a criminal organisation with more than ten members.

“Without hearing me out, the authorities decided to accuse me with corruption, money laundering, that I created a criminal organisation and that I pocketed €30 million,” he said.

The former Labour leader said they were trumped up charges which are only believed by those who invented them “like Egrant”.

“I have to say I will relish disproving the charges, and show how they are based on not only fantasies, but also lies,” he said.

The magisterial inquiry

Magistrate Gabriella Vella, who was investigating the sale of three public hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcare, concluded her report and passed it on to the Attorney General last week.

The inquiry was initiated in 2019 on Repubblika’s initiative.

Joseph Muscat had tried to remove the magistrate from the inquiry, insisting she had a conflict because her relatives were publicly critical of him. He also complained of constant leaks from the inquiry and decried the magistrate’s refusal to let him testify before her.

In January 2022, as part of the inquiry, police officers searched Muscat’s Burmarrad home and seized several electronic devices.

Muscat told reporters on Tuesday that he had no doubt he will be charged as he adopted a defiant tone. He insisted he did nothing wrong and would fight the charges tooth and nail.