Opposition leader Adrian Delia on Sunday accused the government of secretly negotiating an agreement with Steward that will give them €100 million if the hospitals contract is cancelled.
Speaking during an interview on PN’s NET TV, Delia said former minister Konrad Mizzi had inexplicably changed the terms of the contract to make it even more favourable to Steward.
The side deal was first revealed by Maltatoday.
This was done while the courts and the NAO were investigating the original contract, Delia said.
An Opposition motion in Parliament to cancel the deal was shot down this week.
Delia said the original contract awarded to Vitals Global Healthcare to run the St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo Hospitals included a step-in clause that allowed the government to take over their running at no extra cost in the case of a health emergency.
Now, Steward will be given €100 million “if they fail”, Delia said.
Delia vowed that the Opposition would ensure that the three hospitals were given back to the people and those responsible for the deal made to pay the consequences.
On World Press Freedom Day, Delia said he had written to Speaker Anglu Farrugia with a request to name a hall after slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Delia said the journalist’s assassination had wide repercussions, including silencing a voice searching for the truth.
The Opposition leader had sued Caruana Galizia multiple times prior to her death over stories linking him to a Soho prostitution racket. The suits have since been dropped.
Delia hit out at Prime Minister Robert Abela for hijacking PBS and even trying to decide what questions journalists should be asking him.
In a statement on Sunday, the Institute of Maltese Journalists deplored remarks by Abela, who said during a press conference two days ago that he would “appreciate” if journalists stuck to the subject being discussed and did not delve into issues related to the migration crisis.
Delia contrasted this behaviour to his own recent initiative, which will see journalists from independent newsrooms interviewing him every Saturday.
On COVID-19, Delia hit out at the government for its failure to engage with the Opposition.
He said the Nationalist Party had been very careful not to politicise the crisis. Delia had words of praise for the Superintendent for Public Health, who had always been receptive to the Opposition’s suggestions.
Delia urged the government to explore the use of more digital platforms, which he said could empower people to contribute more from their homes, while cutting down on travel times and the negative impact on the environment.