Prime Minister Robert Abela and a list of current and former politicians including Joseph Muscat, whom the PN is claiming are 'linked' to the hospital privatisation deal should face trial and prison if found guilty, the PN reiterated on Friday.

On Monday the PN filed a police report demanding an investigation into 37 people - including Abela and Muscat - whom the party said were directly or indirectly involved in the annulled deal.

In a report filed at the police headquarters in Floriana, PN leader Bernard Grech and PN MPs Adrian Delia, Joe Giglio and Karol Aquilina asked Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà to launch a full-scale investigation following the court’s dramatic ruling in February when it annulled the "fraudulent" privatisation deal for the running of three hospitals.

Throughout the week the PN repeated its call, while the PL called the party leader Bernard Grech "a cheap politician who knows he is becoming irrelevant".

On Friday Aquilina and Giglio reiterated their call at a press conference, urging Gafa to investigate the deal that saw St Luke's, Karen Grech and the Gozo General hospitals privatised in return for their refurbishment in a deal marred in controversy.

“After more than 96 hours, Abela and the police commissioner have still not done anything,” Aquilina said.

Aquilina said the PN asked the police to investigate current and former politicians, government officials, public entities and private companies over fraud, corruption, bribery, abuse of power, money laundering and false declarations.

“The prime minister, an ex-prime minister and a number of ministers were reported to the police over a number of very serious crimes,” PN justice spokesperson Karol Aquilina said.

“These are very serious crimes that face substantial prison penalties,” Giglio added.

Giglio added that the hospitals' deal had always been “shady” but it was now clear that it was also fraudulent.  

The contract between Vitals Global Healthcare, later Steward Healthcare and the government was nullified in court because of the investors’ failure to improve the state of St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals, despite their contractual obligations. 

Vitals and later Steward failed to fulfill their contractual obligations in a deal marred with fraud Photo: Johnathan Borg

The judgement said that the hospitals' deal was fraudulent.

The PN's call for a police investigation comes during an ongoing criminal inquiry into the hospitals' deal requested by NGO Repubblika.

Fielding questions from the press, Giglio said a police investigation was separate from a magisterial inquiry and both can move on independently and in tandem.

“We do not know the particular terms of the magisterial inquiry and what the magistrate is doing in her investigations,”  he said.