Opposition leader Bernard Grech and Nationalist MP Adrian Delia have given the Police Commissioner, State Advocate and Attorney General one week to take action against those involved in the “fraudulent” hospitals’ deal, warning them of further legal action if they do not.

In a judicial protest filed in court on Wednesday, Grech and Delia said the authorities were duty-bound to take action against those who defrauded the Maltese people.

A judicial protest is the first step before any other legal action can be launched.

Grech had said that he intended to move forward with legal proceedings in a speech he delivered at a protest last Sunday. During that event, the PN leader had said that he would be going to court unless the police took action “within three days”.

Speaking outside court on Wednesday morning after filing the protest in the registry, Grech said it was a warning that the Nationalist Party was willing to go all the way to ensure that justice prevails and that those involved in the fraudulent deal are held accountable for their actions.

"The dragging of feet is no longer acceptable. If these people continue to do nothing, we reserve the right to take other action," he said.

In their protest, signed by lawyer Edward De Bono, Grech and former party leader Delia listed all the people and companies who should answer for their part in the deal.

Among them are Prime Minister Robert Abela and his predecessor Joseph Muscat, multiple current and former ministers, top Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward investors as well as individuals involved in awarding the multi-million tender to privatise state hospitals to Vitals.

In 2017, the hospitals were given to Vitals Global Healthcare, which had no previous experience in managing hospitals. When it failed to live up to its obligations, the concession was handed to US company Steward Healthcare in 2018. Both Vitals and Steward Healthcare were found to have behaved fraudulently by the courts, which nullified contracts related to the deal.

Grech, Delia and PN MPs Joe Giglio and Karol Aquilina had already filed a police report requesting an investigation into the deal last February. They had listed all the people and companies and asked Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà to launch a full-scale investigation. 

Grech said that the police should investigate all those involved in the fraudulent deal including the judgment itself, other reports and also stories published by the media about the privatisation deal.

Grech and Delia exchange a smile as they head to court. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Asked why the Nationalist Party was not waiting for the conclusion of the magisterial inquiry into the case before proceeding with action, Grech said the police should have acted immediately, upon the publication of the first reports in the media.

“When there’s a crime taking place, which is also subject of the magisterial inquiry, the police do not wait for the inquiry to be concluded before taking action. This is what they should have done in this case too,” he said.

Grech and Delia gave the Police Commissioner, the State Advocate and the Attorney General a week to launch the action, warning of further legal steps in default. 

"If there was illegal action by any other person, steps would already have been taken," Delia said.

Full list of people cited in the PN judicial protest

• Prime Minister Robert Abela
• Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat 
• Health Minister Chris Fearne
• Former Health Minister Konrad Mizzi 
• Finance Minister Clyde Caruana
• Former Finance Minister Edward Scicluna
• Former Economy Minister Chris Cardona
• Former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri
• Vitals investors Ram Tumuluri, Armin Ernst, Mark Edward Pawley, Ashok Rattehalli, Aasia Parveen Shaukat, Asad Shaukat Ali, Shaukat Ali Chaudry, Mohammad Shoaib Walajahi
• Selection committee members James Camenzuli, Manuel Castagna and Robert Borg
• Consultant David Galea
• Malta Enterprise CEO Mario Galea
• Permanent secretary Ronald Mizzi
• Lands Authority CEO Robert Vella
• Former Lands Authority acting CEO Peter Mamo
• Bluestone Investments Malta Ltd
• Pivot Holdings Ltd
• Oxley Capital Group
• Malta Industrial Parks Limited, now INDIS Malta Ltd
• Projects Malta Limited, now Malta Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd
• Bluestone Special Situations 4 Limited
• AGMC Incorporated
• Portpool Investments Ltd
• Vitals Global Healthcare Limited, now Steward Malta
• Vitals Global Healthcare Management Limited, now Steward Malta Management Limited
• Vitals Global Healthcare Assets, now Steward Malta Assets Limited
• Beat Limited
• Accutor AG.