The police have “categorically denied” the allegation that Prime Minister Robert Abela ordered senior police officers not to interrogate some of those named in the magisterial inquiry into the Vitals and Steward hospitals deal.
In a statement on Monday, the police said it “assisted the Attorney General's office in the prosecution" according to legal procedures based on the conclusions of the inquiry.
"The Police Force categorically denies any allegation of interference”, it said.
The statement came in response to a MaltaToday story on Sunday, which reported claims by unnamed Labour insiders, including senior cabinet ministers, that Abela had ordered senior police figures not to interrogate some of those named in the inquiry.
Shortly after the article’s publication, rule-of-law NGO Republikka called on Abela to the accusations in the MaltaToday article or resign by the end of the day.
Responding on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister’s office (OPM) said in a statement that Abela “categorically" denied the allegations.
It said he “denies categorically and in the most absolute way that he has ever given any direction similar to what has been maliciously reported.”
OPM said the fact that the claims had been published "without verifying with the Office of the Prime Minister before publishing the report, which shows how much the intention was not to report factually and truthfully.”
MaltaToday reported claims by insiders that the alleged order not to interrogate those named in the inquiry into the hospitals deal was aimed at “cushioning the impact of the conclusions on Joseph Muscat” - an alleged decision one insider called a “big and serious mistake.”
The claims appeared alongside assertions that the Prime Minister’s leadership was angering those within the government and the party.
In a dramatic judgement delivered in February last year, a court annulled a “fraudulent” privatisation deal for the running of three state hospitals signed during under the Labour administration led by Joseph Muscat.
The deal saw Vitals Global Healthcare and later Steward Health Care take over the running of Gozo General, St Luke's and Karin Grech hospitals – institutions the court ordered should be returned to the government within three months.
An appeal against the decision lodged by Steward Health Care was thrown out later that year, with the court of appeal saying it also believed there was "collusion between Steward and senior government officials or its agencies".