A law firm that gave legal advice to companies involved in the Vitals Global Healthcare hospitals scandal has been targeted by a police raid.

DF Advocates said in a statement on Saturday that their involvement in the hospital concession was “solely and purely” that of legal advisors to the companies forming part of the VGH group.

VGH was the shell entity controversially granted the running of three public hospitals by the government in 2015.

DF Advocates insisted they were just one of a number of other reputable law firms and financial advisors who provided professional advice on the project to either VGH or the government.

DF Advocates in their statement refuted any allegations that the law firm, or any of its lawyer are in any way linked to former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri or any of his business interests.

The law firm said the magisterial inquiry into Vitals Global Healthcare does not personally involve any lawyer within the law firm personally.

Rule of law NGO Repubblika had triggered the inquiry into the hospitals deal in what it had dubbed as an act of “modern-day piracy”.

VGH, which had no prior experience in healthcare, crashed out of the multi-million euro hospitals concession in 2017.

The activists accused three government ministers of going through the motions of a public process based on impartiality and value for money to award the contract, while in reality being part of a criminal conspiracy with the winning bidder.

A report last year by the Auditor General concluded VGH should have been disqualified from bidding for the takeover of three state hospitals.

It said VGH should have been barred because of “collusive behaviour” between the government and the company through a secret agreement made before the tender was even issued.