The NAO reports on the hospitals’ deal provide all the answers that Robert Abela is seeking about the recently annulled privatisation contract, the Opposition said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party lashed out at the Prime Minister, claiming he was “either trying to buy time” or “does not want to accept the conclusions” of the two voluminous reports issued by the Office of the Auditor General in 2020 and 2021.

The PN were referring to Abela’s letter to Auditor Charles Deguara requesting an investigation of government spending on the hospitals' deal, comparing it to the provision of services by Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Healthcare during their time as concession holders.

During an interview with party-owned media house One on Saturday, Abela reiterated that if the investigation shows a "discrepancy in the money spent in respect to the services rendered by the concessionaires" he would take the necessary legal action to recoup the money.

The Opposition called out the request as bogus, since an investigation had already taken place, the conclusions of which were published in the two damning NAO reports which found a number of serious shortcomings in the privatisation deal.

In view of this, the Nationalist Party reiterated to Robert Abela to “take a decision and condemn the agreement made between the government and Vitals and take all legal steps to collect back the money that the Maltese people have been defrauded".