Carmen Ciantar has testified in an ongoing inquiry into the government’s Vitals/Steward hospitals deal. 

Ciantar suspended herself from her role as CEO of the Foundation for Medical Services (FMS) after bribery claims linked to the deal emerged in the Pakistani media.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Ciantar described the report as a “frame-up” and immediately asked the police commissioner and inquiring magistrate to investigate.

“The first step to clear my name was taken, when the magistrate and the police, together invited me to give my testimony, which I did last week. Now justice has to be seen to be done with me and all involved,” Ciantar said.

The reports leading to her suspension claimed that Ciantar received €443,500 in payments from a company linked to Vitals.

Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) was handed the running of the St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals in 2015, one year prior to Ciantar being appointed as FMS CEO.

Soon after, further claims emerged over an alleged €3.2 million payment to Ciantar’s daughter, Celine.

The alleged payment was supposedly a pay-off from a wealthy Russian whom Health Minister Chris Fearne helped acquire a Maltese passport.

The first step to clear my name was taken, when the magistrate and the police, together invited me to give my testimony, which I did last week- Carmen Ciantar

Fearne has rubbished the claims, saying he was never in any way involved in the government’s passports scheme.

He recently refused to say whether he thought ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat was behind the alleged “frame-up”.

Muscat is a suspect in the years’ long inquiry being conducted by magistrate Gabriella Vella.

Times of Malta, Shift News and OCCRP last month revealed how Muscat received suspect payments from a Swiss firm that used to be called VGH Europe.

Its name was later changed to Accutor Consulting.

Former VGH directors Ram Tumuluri and Mark Pawley have said VGH Europe was set up to further the company’s expansion in Switzerland and elsewhere.

Muscat had denied any link between the “consultancy” payments he received and the hospitals deal.

Accutor Consulting and other affiliated companies received millions of euros from Steward Healthcare, the American company which took over the running and operation of the government concession after VGH crashed out.