The police are being pressured not to arraign Labour politicians before the election, the rule of law group Repubblika said on Wednesday.
"We are informed that there is strong political pressure to stop the police from charging any Labour politician - past or present - on corruption before the general election," Repubblika president Robert Aquilina told a press conference.
"This pressure is scandalous in itself. The police commissioner and the deputy commissioner should not bow to it and arraign the corrupt politicians as soon as possible," he insisted.
Speaking outside St Luke's Hospital in front of a giant banner reading Korruzzjoni, Aquilina said Repubblika is also calling for the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry it sought just under three years ago into the Vitals hospital contract.
In May 2019, the NGO had asked the courts to launch an inquiry into allegations of criminal responsibility by ministers Edward Scicluna, Chris Cardona and Konrad Mizzi in the transfer of three public hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcare.
The NGO had argued that the ministers had unfairly and illegally favoured the owners of a private company despite knowing that it had no previous experience in healthcare.
"It's time for results. Simple - to start seeing politicians and people stained by corruption, money laundering and other crimes to be arraigned in court," Aquilina said.
Aquilina observed that since the inquiry was launched, the National Audit Office published two reports condemning the government's actions in the privatisation process. And two months ago it was revealed that Joseph Muscat pocketed thousands of euro from a Swiss company that received millions from the hospitals deal.
"The evidence we saw stinks of money laundering and Muscat's explanation on Facebook was typical of someone who is laundering money to make it look licit," Aquilina said.
Protest outside Gozo hospital
Repubblika on Wednesday also held a symbolic protest outside Gozo hospital, one of the hospitals which had been transferred to Vitals.
It said the 'corrupt contract' had stolen Gozo's only hospital from the people of Gozo.
Robert Aquilina promised the NGO would continue to do all it could so that those responsible are held to account.
The hospital, he stressed, must be returned to the people.
