The Opposition filed a motion on Monday calling on the government to take Steward Healthcare to court and recoup €400 million that "were stolen" through the hospitals' deal.
PN leader Bernard Grech and MP Adrian Delia filed the motion during a heated parliamentary debate about the court's decision that on Monday confirmed the hospitals' deal officially null and void.
"Only the Prime Minister can open a court case to return the €400 million," Grech said before reading out the motion in parliament.
However, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the government had already launched legal action against Steward through the International Chamber of Commerce.
The PL leader told the House the arbitration would decide which services Steward had failed to provide and what money had to be returned.
"If Steward received any payment they did not deserve, they have to make good for it," Abela said.
The Monday evening debate took place hours after the court of appeal confirmed a landmark judgment that cancelled contracts related to the hospitals' deal after Steward failed to fulfil its contractual obligations.
Monday's judgement, presided over by Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, implicates Joseph Muscat and his top brass in wrongdoing even more than the original sentence.
The court said that the Maltese government had failed to protect the national interest and had instead defended Steward throughout the process.
During the ensuing parliamentary parliamentary debate, Grech said that the entire PL parliamentary group was responsible for the fraudulent deal. He said Labour MPs had continued voting in parliament to hand over more money to Steward.
The hospitals' deal gave Vitals Global Health Care a concession to run three state hospitals in Malta and Gozo in 2014. Steward Healthcare bought the concession in 2018.
The deal should have seen Gozo General Hospital, St Luke Hospital and Karen Grech Hospital refurbished and modernised. But this did not happen.
"What happened in this deal was criminal, and you are responsible," Grech said, referring to the PL MPs.
Abela rebutted saying the government had taken back the three hospitals in April, a month after the first judgement was handed down.
He said the government was advised not to take action before the judgement as it would have otherwise risked an exit clause costing €100 million.
The government had then asked for the appeal to be heard urgently so the issue could be put to bed, Abela said.