There seems to be no end to documented evidence of the institutionalised corruption that occurred under former prime minister Joseph Muscat. Some may no longer feel shocked as we and other news outlets continue to expose the corrupt political practices of the last few years.
What those who have grown immune to these revelations may not realise is that the merciless fleecing of taxpayers by the Muscat regime puts the future well-being of Maltese families at risk.
The National Audit Office has published the second in a series of three audit reports on the concession of three public hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcare in 2015. This second report dealt with the negotiation process leading to the agreement with VGH. The most striking finding from the perspective of taxpayers is that this contract – conservatively valued at €4 billion – “is a gross shortcoming in terms of the financial management of public funds”.
Muscat’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, and his super minister, Konrad Mizzi, manoeuvred to ensure that VGH, which had poor healthcare credentials, were given concessions that were not included in the original request for proposals. These concessions made the successful implementation of the contract outright impossible.
The report implies it more clearly than ever: Maltese taxpayers were taken to the cleaners by corrupt politicians and public officials who abused their power for self-interest. Now that VGH is out of the picture, taxpayers are waiting to see what other bills they will have to pay to the successors of VGH, Steward Health Care, as a result of this shameful saga. That’s over and above the €69 million Steward will be receiving to run the three hospitals next year, €20 million more than last year.
Notwithstanding the magisterial inquiry that is underway into the hospitals' deal, the police should be delving deeply into the NAO report to find any evidence of criminal acts by those involved in this disgraceful contract. They need to focus intensely on the ministry of health official’s statement to the NAO that there were “suspicions that funds meant for the running of the hospitals were funnelled out of VGH”.
Robert Abela needs to clean up the mess created by his predecessor, who, after leaving office, was paid ‘consultancy’ fees by a company linked to VGH.
Only then will the prime minister show he is a statesman who puts society’s interests ahead of those of his party and of those still connected to it. Abela also has an obligation to taxpayers to brief them on the state of discussions with Steward Health Care. So far, both Abela and finance minister, Clyde Caruana, have used understatements to describe the stalemate.
This is not good enough. It is time for some straight talking. The public has a right to know about the likely consequences of this massive abuse on the country’s finances and the public health system. It is their money that funded the abuse.
At the same time, any other public officials who contributed to this failure of good governance by omission or commission should be asked to resign. If they resist, they should be demoted or even sacked. Taxpayers pay public officials to protect their interests and not connive with corrupt politicians to promote their self-interest.
The sooner this saga is brought to an end by the return of the three public hospitals to health ministry control, the better it will be for the community’s well-being.
Questions as to who was responsible for the web of corruption embedded in this contract’s award process must be answered. Action must be taken on all levels – political, administrative and criminal – against those who have fleeced the Maltese taxpayer so mercilessly.