The Opposition leader on Wednesday hit out at the government and Prime Minister Robert Abela for ditching their socialist principles and being 'fake' in the way they faced some of the country's problems.

Speaking at a press conference, Bernard Grech said Robert Abela was repeatedly siding with the rich and powerful and criminals rather than the ordinary people. 

It was this band of criminals who had taken control of the justice, health environment and economy sectors, he said.

In parliament, in the wake of the court's decision that effectively stopped government squandering to Steward Healthcare, Abela had spoken like he was Steward's chief legal counsel, even though the people knew that the company had not made the investment it had been bound to do to build a new hospital in Gozo and rehabilitate St Luke's, Grech said. 

Instead, the people were seeing waiting lists getting longer at Mater Dei Hospital, more medicines were out of stock, and a promised new mental hospital was nowhere to be seen. 

Robert Abela was also refusing to order an independent public inquiry into the death of young worker Jean Paul Sofia during the collapse of a building that was under construction last December.

At the courts, a lack of investment was also resulting in more delays, to the detriment of justice and the people.  

Grech said Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa' and Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg were nowhere to be seen, and Abela himself only showed up when his back was against the wall.  

Abela reaffirmed that he considers himself a "socialist" just this week, arguing that the Labour Party continued to be focused on social justice and mobility.