[WATCH] PM sees John Dalli serving executive role in health

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat revealed that he sees an executive role for former Nationalist Minister John Dalli at the helm of the health sector.

In an extensive interview with MaltaToday, the Prime Minister said he believed Dalli, a former health minister, could provide invaluable help in three main sectors: primary health care, the emergency department at Mater Dei Hospital and resolving the issue of out-of-stock medicine.

Muscat told MaltaToday that Dalli could also be useful in attracting further investment to the island. "The contacts Dalli has built over the years can prove to be valuable in helping us increase in investment," Muscat said.

The Prime Minister described Dalli as "one of the best health ministers" Malta had had.

"He was effective, and Godfrey [Farrugia] and I see an important role for Dalli in the leadership of the health sector."

Muscat has also considered a number of reforms which Dalli kickstarted during his ministerial role but which were abandoned by his successors. These reforms, Muscat added, should be revisited.

His meeting at Castille lasted forty minutes and was also attended by the PM's chief of staff Keith Schembri and Frank Zammit a long standing aide to John Dalli.

Dalli's return to centre stage comes after a gruelling seven months after he was forced to resign by EU president Jose Manuel Barroso after an investigation by OLAF. 

In a statement, Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit stated that there was no evidence in the OLAF report that could incriminate Dalli.