Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi claimed on Friday he could not to remember if the financial advisors that set up his once-secret Panama shell company also played a role in choosing Vitals Global Healthcare to run three public hospitals. 

A magistrate on Thursday deemed there to be enough evidence for an inquiry into the deal, which saw the three state hospitals handed over to a shell company with no prior healthcare experience. 

Replying to questions by Times of Malta on Friday, Dr Mizzi said he did not recall who was on the selection committee. 

“I will check,” he said. 

When it was pointed out that Times of Malta put in an FOI request about the matter, which was rejected, Dr Mizzi said he honestly did not remember.

'I know selection committee was very big'

“It was in 2015. I don’t know. I know the selection committee was very big”, Dr Mizzi said. 

Dr Mizzi was a client of Nexia BT during the 2015 selection process, which also coincided with a global hunt by Nexia BT to set up a bank account for the minister’s Panama company, through which hefty deposits were expected to be received. 

Nexia BT played a key role in selecting the Electrogas consortium as the winning bidders for the 2013 power station process, in a procurement process that was heavily criticised by the Auditor General.

A leaked e-mail authored by Nexia BT revealed plans by the minister to receive up to $1 million in deposits from 17 Black, a company owned by Electrogas investor and local businessman Yorgen Fenech.  

Dr Mizzi has denied any such plans or knowledge of the e-mail in question. 

Pressed further about Nexia BT’s role on the committee that chose Vitals, the minister said he had no problem with Times of Malta continuing the write about the matter. 

“I will keep answering questions. I will keep focussing on initiatives that make a difference to our people”, Dr Mizzi said. 

Mizzi reiterates intention to appeal inquiry

The minister reiterated his intention to appeal the decision for an inquiry, together with Economy Minister Chris Cardona and Finance Minister Edward Scicluna. 

A 150-page dossier compiled by NGO Repubblika on the Vitals deal led to the inquiry. 

The dossier charted the three ministers’ role in what was described as a “modern day act of piracy”.

It questioned why the three ministers, who played differing roles in the deal, were so willing to give a “disproportionate” financial advantage to a company with no medical experience.

The “act of piracy”, which saw the investors behind VGH flee the country, leaving behind a trail of debt amounting to €50 million, could not have been possible without the “active and essential” contribution of these three ministers, the activists accuse.

King of the dodgy deal? Not me!

Dr Mizzi refuted the label of king of the dodgy deal. 

He fired off a list of his achievements, including a reduction in energy tariffs, eradicating out-of-stock medicines and turning around the national airline Air Malta. 

“If you consider these as dodgy deals, well, I don’t consider them as such. I think they are things which are changing the quality of life of our people”. 
 

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