Prime Minister Robert Abela said that he would have “acted differently” had he been in office when the controversial hospitals' privatisation deal was signed.
Fielding questions from reporters on Wednesday, Abela said that he was not happy with the hospitals deal after a damning audit report was published on Tuesday.
“I was not even an MP at the time. But if, hypothetically, that project or a similar one were to come before me today, then I would act differently,” he said.
The National Audit Office published a scathing audit report which found a succession of serious shortcomings in the process to award Vitals Global Healthcare a 30-year concession to run Gozo General, St Luke’s and Karin Grech hospitals.
The investigation concluded that “collusion” and advanced knowledge of the tender meant that VGH should never have been allowed to even bid for the deal.
Abela said he had faith in the Auditor General’s findings and while he was unhappy with what the investigation discovered, he was satisfied with the rigorous and independent investigation.
The report highlighted how sensitive documents had not been handed over for the audit, including on an agreement with the investors behind the deal.
Asked about this, Abela said he was assessing the full report. If the relevant documents were “available”, he said, they would be handed over to the NAO which was still conducting further analysis of the hospitals’ concession.
The report also concluded that responsibility for the deal fell at the feet of former Minister Konrad Mizzi and “to a lesser extent” his then-permanent secretary Ronald Mizzi who is still on the State payroll in the Tourism Ministry.
Asked whether action will be taken against the civil servant, Abela said he was still assessing the full report.
The prime minister also cast doubts over the former minister’s claim that the hospitals deal was backed by the entire Cabinet.
Abela said he had faith in the findings of the NAO report and not in Mizzi, whom he had ousted from government and the Labour Party.