Updated 6pm with Robert Abela remarks

Chris Fearne said he does not “include or exclude” any former top officials from his own government to be "behind or aware" of a smear campaign against him.  

Last week, Times of Malta reported that according to leaked corporate records, Steward Health Care funded a campaign to smear the former health minister through “fake” corruption claims. 

The campaign was part of a €6.5 million secret operation to target Steward's perceived opponents, in Malta and abroad. 

The records were obtained by OCCRP and shared with Times of Malta and the Boston Globe.

Asked whether he excluded any top officials from the Muscat government to be behind the smear campaign, Fearne replied: "I do not include or exclude anyone".

Fearne asked the police to investigate and prosecute the source behind the “€6 million frame-up” against him and on Monday said he expected the police to get to the bottom of it.

“Thanks to journalists, including from your media house, the truth is emerging," he said.

He stressed that he had asked the police to investigate the source of the campaign, but the police could not find it.

Fearne said he has a legal interest in the case, as he was “ironically” accused of being an accomplice with those who spent €6 million to damage his reputation. 

“I also have political interest, as I resigned as a minister in a political party. I also am interested in the safety of my family, because whoever spent €6 million on a fabricated story about me, could do worse than that. I cannot exclude it," he said.

His comments come hours after the auditor general told a court he found “no shortcomings” in the behaviour of Fearne and former finance minister Edward Scicluna over the 2015 privatisation deal for three hospitals. 

Former FCID superintendent James Grech also testified in that hearing about a criminal complaint lodged via email in June last year by Fearne’s lawyer. 

He said police were asked to investigate certain media reports implying that the former deputy prime minister held a share in Palazzo Promontorio and that he was allegedly involved in some communication with Russians.

The allegations were "totally false", the investigation was wrapped up and the FCID informed Fearne’s lawyer in September that no grounds for criminal action existed.

Fearne told Times of Malta it is now up to the courts to establish the facts and hopes justice will eventually be served.

Asked if he has been in touch with Joseph Muscat or his former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, Fearne said he has not, stressing that the court case is ongoing. 

In May, Fearne resigned as deputy prime minister and withdrew his candidature as Malta's next EU commissioner after prosecutors filed fraud charges against him over the privatisation deal.

Robert Abela: I condemn smear, wherever it came from

Asked outside parliament if he could exclude that anyone linked to Labour was involved in the Fearne smear, Prime Minister Robert Abela sidestepped the question. 

"If the things alleged occurred, I absolutely condemn them, wherever they came from. What is wrong is wrong, wherever it comes from. Mr Fearne deserves much better," Abela said. 

Fearne seeks Parliament's protection

In a brief intervention in parliament on Monday afternoon, Fearne called for the protection of the Chair for him and his family, reiterating that those who had spent €6m on a malicious frame-up campaign based on fake media stories, would be prepared to do much worse.

Fearne tabled reports published last week by Times of Malta, the Boston Globe and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project about the campaign against him.

He said that in view of the fresh evidence he was again asking the police to investigate the source of this campaign. While there was an indication, he was asking the police if there was a further hidden hand involved. 

This, he said, was a coordinated attack against him as a minister and deputy prime minister and it was aimed as eliminating him politically and stopping him from performing his duties.

He was therefore seeking the protection of the Chair so that he would not be stopped from doing his duties.

The Speaker said he would consider the request.