Copyright maltatoday
Former prime minister Joseph Muscat has seized on the outcome of an international arbitration case to insist that there was never any theft of public funds in the controversial hospitals concession, and that the government actually still owes Steward Health Care nearly €5 million. In a Facebook post on Monday, Muscat said the ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal confirmed that “€400 million were not stolen” when the private healthcare company took over three state hospitals under a concession deal later annulled by Maltese courts. “The decision […] states that not only were €400 million not stolen in the hospital concession, but the government still has to pay the service provider almost another €5 million,” Muscat wrote. He said the outcome “should shame those who caused so much harm to our country”, referring to critics who have argued the deal resulted in a massive loss of taxpayer money. Muscat added that if fraud had occurred, the arbitrators, who he says are “world-recognised experts with no political agenda”, would not have acknowledged an outstanding payment due to Steward. The tribunal concluded that Malta received fair value for payments made during the concession and ruled that neither side was entitled to damages. Instead, applying Maltese restitution principles, it recognised a shortfall of €4.78 million that remains payable to Steward. According to the award, Malta received total benefits worth €889.4 million under the concession, while Steward received €884.6 million. The government has said it is continuing to review the ruling with its legal advisors. In a statement on Monday, it claimed the result “vindicates the government’s approach in protecting the national interest”. Since the hospitals deal was struck down by Malta’s courts last year, in a judgment describing Steward’s behaviour as fraudulent, the Nationalist Party has repeatedly insisted that the government must recover the entire €400 million spent during the concession. The government has rejected the Opposition’s narrative, saying the bulk of the money went to salaries and healthcare services that would have been paid for regardless of the contract. Muscat: “This is only the beginning” Muscat, who is facing criminal charges in relation to the hospitals deal, said he remains bound by court-imposed restrictions preventing him from commenting directly on his own case. However, he claimed the arbitration outcome undermines the accusations against him. “This is only the beginning, not the end, in the pursuit of truth,” he said.
