Time would tell whether it was the inquiring magistrate who shut the police out of the investigations in the Vitals hospitals case, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Thursday.

He was replying to questions after it was revealed during court sittings on Tuesday and Wednesday that no police investigations had been made. It was also revealed on Wednesday that no police report had even been filed.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella concluded a four-and-a-half-year investigation into the scandal earlier this month and former prime minister Joseph Muscat was among senior figures arraigned on Tuesday to face charges of money laundering, corruption and criminal association.

Central Bank Governor Edward Scicluna and former Health Minister Chris Fearne were in a second group taken to court on Wednesday to face charges of misappropriation and fraud. The second arraignment was declared null because of procedural issues.

Replying to reporters' questions on Thursday  Abela defended Scicluna's track record, a former finance minister, who, he said, had made a leading contribution to Malta’s economic revival.

Scicluna has refused to resign despite the criminal charges, insisting that no government, Opposition party or NGO can force him out of his role since the Central Bank is governed by the statutes of the European Central Bank.  

Abela said Scicluna had helped revive Malta’s stagnant economy in 2013 and brought public finances back on track.

“People know how their lives improved since 2013. Scicluna was one of the main contributors to this”, Abela said.

'Rest assured we will stand by Chris Fearne'

He brushed off questions about whether Labour deputy leader Chris Fearne was receiving the same backing by Labour as former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

“Rest assured we will stand by Chris Fearne”, Abela said.

Hundreds of Labour supporters turned up outside the law courts on Tuesday to support Muscat, as he was arraigned and charged.

But the scene was more muted on Wednesday, when only a handful of supporters showed up to support Fearne. Tuesday's gathering was organised by associates of Joseph Muscat, but the PL did not dissociate from it.

Abela refused to be drawn into specifics about the ongoing court cases, insisting it was now up to the courts to decide. 

He however dismissed questions about whether Justice Minister Jonathan Attard had stepped out of line with his comments about Muscat’s case.

Attard said on Wednesday that a so-called “gagging order” request by the Attorney General was disproportionate.

Magistrate Rachel Montebello upheld the request on Tuesday and ordered the former prime minister and his co-accused, including former chief of staff Keith Schembri and former health minister Konrad Mizzi not to make any public comments about any testimony or evidence in the proceedings.

The prime minister said on Thursday that Attard’s comments were made in a “prudent” and “educated” manner.

This, he said, contrasted with the constant attacks on the Attorney General and Police Commissioner by Opposition members and NGOs, Abela said.

On the lack of police investigations into the hospitals scandal, Abela said time would tell whether it was the inquiring magistrate who shut the police out of the investigations.

No attempt to muzzle Rosianne Cutajar

Questioned about former Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar’s appearance on the campaign trail (to support a Labour candidate), Abela said her request to rejoin Labour’s parliamentary group was still “pending”.

Abela said he would not try to “muzzle” Cutajar by putting a stop to her campaign appearances.

In March, Abela demanded an apology from Cutajar before she is re-admitted into the Labour fold.

Cutajar was forced to resign from the PL parliamentary group in April 2023 after chats between her and Yorgen Fenech were published.