NGO Repubblika has asked a magistrate presiding over an inquiry into the "fraudulent sale" of the three hospitals to issue arrest warrants against all those who were part of the deal.

Organisation president Robert Aquilina said it was shocked by the Times of Malta revelations concerning the "obscene" deal. 

He told a press conference outside the law courts that former prime minister Joseph Muscat was being implicated in laundering corruption funds. He paid Vitals who paid Accutror who paid Joseph Muscat and a Pakistani investor. 

"Here we have a textbook case of money laundering. It is indicative of a process of layering which is used by people to cover up illicit gains," he said. 

In an investigation published on Wednesday, Times of Malta revealed how investigators are probing Muscat's finances, with a particular focus on consultancy payments coming from companies linked to hospitals concessionaires Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Health Care. 

One of those companies, Accutor Consulting, was previously called 'VGH Europe'.

Muscat has denied any wrongdoing and claims he is being framed. 

Times of Malta also revealed how people behind the original concessionaires, Vitals Global Healthcare, spent six-figure sums on travel, cars, ATM withdrawals and school fees while the company missed concession milestones. 

The media investigation is a collaboration between Times of Malta, The Shift News and OCCRP, with support from the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. 

Aquilina said the stories confirm Repubblika's stance to ask and obtain a magisterial inquiry on the fraudulent sale. It also confirms suspicions when it filed a report with the police Financial Crime Investigations Department (FCID), which led to a search at Muscat's house, he said.

"The Commissioner of Police Angelo Gafà is the biggest obstacle to justice. Not only is he not carrying his duties but stalling the process too," Aquilina charged. 

He said Repubblika had filed an application in the acts of the magisterial inquiry by magistrate Gabriella Vella. It asked for the stories being published by investigative journalists to be included in the inquiry and to consider the possibility of issuing arrest warrants against people being mentioned. 

He said this was even more important now that there were claims and considerable fear that the people being mentioned were in the process of planning to flee Malta. 

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