Last Wednesday, I was allowed a short speech in parliament during which I tabled a set of eight important documents.
I was given eight minutes,one minute for each document presented.
I trust that these documents will further enlighten the citizens of Malta regarding the dynamics which led to the recent landmark judgment delivered by the courts in the case I won for the people regarding the vitiated and fraudulent deal with Vitals.
The importance and relevance of these documents stem first from the fact that all the entities I solicited in the case were fully aware of their content for almost two years. Their acceptance of the court judgment and failure to appeal clearly confirm this.
This brings me to what Prime Minister Robert Abela told the electorate during his speech in defence of the Vitals deal a few days after the judgment was delivered. Our prime minister ‘graciously’ told us that he had waited in silence for a good 20 days to give us his ‘truths’ about the matter.
I will explain how the documents I tabled show gross inaccuracy in the prime minister’s graciousness.
One of the documents is a letter sent and signed by Steward Malta’s CEO, Armin Ernst and its general legal counsel, Inigo Gomez-Jordana, addressed to the prime minister and the state advocate. This letter is dated September 29, 2021.
While all the documents tabled are of utmost importance and of public interest, I singled out this letter to be of extreme relevance. The date itself proves that the period taken by Abela to break his silence was much longer than the mentioned 20 days. In his letter, Ernst makes it clear that the Vitals deal had been vitiated by fraud. It is important to mention that, prior to being appointed CEO of Steward Malta, Ernst held the position of CEO of Vitals Global Healthcare itself.
Robert Abela knew exactly that the VGH contract was vitiated and fraudulent from the very beginning- Adrian Delia
There is, therefore, no other person, presumably alongside Abela, his predecessor Joseph Muscat and other interested parties and acolytes, better informed than Ernst about the contents and articulations of the deal.
In the letter, Ernst states: “Recent evidence suggests that the granting of the concession to VGH was, to say the least, improper. It is not the purpose of this letter to consider and conclude if the award was fraudulent (though there are clear indications that this is the case). This analysis will require further investigation and review of documentation which may not be made available to us and is beyond our purpose today. We are, though, aware that criminal investigation proceedings are under way and, as part of such proceedings, Steward Malta has had its offices searched by the police.”
It is a shame that Abela states his period of silence was 20 days.
Besides what he already knew from investigations and reports in the press and media portals, the investigative work of free journalists, and the circumstantial evidence and the evidence presented during the proceedings in the court case I presented and won, he knew exactly that the VGH contract was vitiated and fraudulent from the very beginning.
He had personally known at least since September 2021. He had heard it all directly from the horse’s mouth in simple easy-to-understand words.
He remained silent. He and his government continued to fund the deal through parliament.
When he broke his silence, it was to defend a fraudulent deal. It was to defend foreign criminals who were pillaging the Maltese taxpayer.
It was to defend the indefensible. He defended the gross incompetence in funding the deal out of our money.
He may be protecting the chosen few. But who? Whose impunity is more important than the well-being of the citizens of Malta whom he has vowed to lead and protect? Whose skin is worth the theft of at least €400 million of taxpayer money?
Robert Abela, Prime Minister of Malta, it is your solemn and sworn duty to protect your country and its nationals. Stand up and be counted.
So far, you have done the opposite.
Adrian Delia is a former PN leader and Nationalist MP.