Steward Healthcare has dropped its objections to a UK court ruling ordering it to pay US$6.47 million to a US investor, a Maltese court heard on Tuesday. 

The healthcare company was ordered to pay that amount to Medical Associates of Northern Virginia Inc. Profit Sharing Plan in October 2020. 

The US company, which is controlled by Ambrish Gupta, was an early investor in Vitals Global Healthcare, which originally held the hospitals concession that Steward took over in 2017.

MANV had claimed that it was owed the US$6.47m for its role in Vitals’ acquisition of the controversial hospitals concession. 

Following the UK court ruling in MANV’s favour, a garnishee order was issued against Steward.

Three companies under the Steward umbrella - Steward Malta Assets Limited, Steward Malta Limited and Steward Malta Management Limited – responded by seeking to block enforcement of that UK judgement, by filing a motion to that effect before the Maltese courts. 

The Steward companies claimed that MANV had been involved in “irregular and collusive practices” on the 30–year hospitals concession granted by the Maltese government.

But on Tuesday, Mr Justice Robert G. Mangion said that Steward had filed a note to inform the court that it was ceding its lawsuit. No reasons were provided for that decision. 

Documents from the court case filed against MANV have been presented as evidence by former Opposition Leader Adrian Delia in a separate lawsuit. 

Delia is seeking to have the hospitals deal, by which Gozo General Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital and Karin Grech Hospital were given to Vitals and then Steward to operate, rescinded. 

Lawyers Joseph Camilleri and Nicole Fenech signed the note. Lawyer Paul Cachia was assisting the respondents.