Prime Minister Robert Abela has written to Auditor General Charles Deguara asking him to investigate government spending on the hospitals deal and compare it to the provision of services by Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Healthcare during their time as concession holders.
The action comes a day after Abela vowed to do so during a chaotic parliamentary session, which saw the Opposition walking out of the house during discussions on a motion that they themselves had proposed.
Last month, a court annulled the controversial deal that handed the running of the state hospitals, St Luke's, Karin Grech and the Gozo General Hospital, to a private operator, labelling it "fraudulent" and returning the running of the hospitals back to the state.
Steward Healthcare has since filed a termination notice and slammed the state, saying that the "operating environment and investment climate in Malta is not conducive for foreign companies to have a constructive partnership with the government".
In his letter to auditor Charles Deguara, Abela cited being given a mandate by parliament to "take all the necessary action to recover payments for which no related value in medical services or related investment were given in return".
He also referred to allegations made by PN MPs who claimed that Steward had run off with funds obtained through a loan from Bank of Valletta.
Abela said that the Opposition is making this claim "as if Steward had not built and furnished Bart's Medical School in Gozo and as if they are not making regular repayments on their loan".
The Opposition, he continues, has also claimed that a sum of € 400 million was paid by the government to the concessionaire without receiving the same value in medical services and investment in kind.
He also informed Deguara that the Tax Commissioner had already started legal proceedings to recoup any outstanding tax balance owed by Steward.
"In light of this, I ask you to investigate these matters," Abela said.
The letter in its entirety was distributed to the media by the Office of the Prime Minister.
PM acting as Steward's defence lawyer - PN
In a press conference held on Friday afternoon, PN deputy leader Alex Perici Calascione and MPs Rebekah Borg and Darren Carabott described Abela as “Steward’s defence lawyer”, criticising his “passionate” and “surreal” defence of the company in parliament.
“Instead of defending the Maltese public and their rights, the Prime Minister continues to inexplicably defend Steward,” according to Perici Calascione.
“It is insulting that Abela’s defence of Steward is based on the work carried out by our medical professionals who continued to carry out their duties,” he said.
The MPs reiterated the terms of a motion presented in parliament calling on the government to condemn the fraudulent deal and to initiate legal action for the money that was awarded to VGH and Steward to be returned.