Copyright maltatoday
The Nationalist Party has accused the Labour government of failing to defend Malta’s interests after an international arbitration tribunal confirmed the termination of the hospitals concession granted to Steward Health Care but found the State still owes the company nearly €5 million. In a sharply worded statement on Tuesday, the PN said the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ruling endorses the Maltese courts’ decision to annul the hospitals contracts and return the three public hospitals to the State. Calling the concession “the biggest corruption scandal in Malta’s history,” the party said the outcome reaffirmed its long-held position that the deal was fraudulent from the outset. While the tribunal dismissed Steward’s €148 million claim for damages, the PN criticised the fact that the government did not recoup any funds from the concession and must now pay an additional €4.78 million to the operator. “Although not one of the three hospitals was built or renovated, the government failed to recover a single euro for Malta,” the statement said, accusing Prime Minister Robert Abela and Finance Minister Clyde Caruana of “failure” in presenting Malta’s case internationally. The Opposition said this result confirms that “the Maltese people were robbed under a Labour government” and that only after legal action was filed by former PN leader Adrian Delia were the contracts overturned domestically. The ICC’s award stated that Malta benefited to the tune of €889 million during the concession period, while Steward received around €885 million, prompting the restitution order. In its reaction on Monday, the government welcomed the dismissal of Steward’s damages claim and said it continues to review the full decision with legal advisors before outlining implications and next steps. The PN said only a change in government can guarantee that the public recovers the hundreds of millions spent on the deal. It vowed to recover public funds linked to the concession, hold accountable those who approved and defended the contracts, rebuild a healthcare system that prioritises patients over private interests. “The Maltese people have the right to get their money back — not just empty hospitals with no investment,” the statement read. The PN pledged to continue pushing for accountability and an end to what it called a “culture where corruption goes unpunished.”
