The court case launched regarding the cancellation of the hospital concession agreement (which had been filed by PN MP Adrian Delia) is in its final stages, Prime Minister Robert Abela has said. "Whatever the decision taken by the court is, we must respect it."
Prime Minister Robert Abela was responding to questions posed by the Malta Independent, regarding the future of Steward in Malta given that negotiations between the government and the company have stopped.
In an article published by The Malta Independent, a spokesperson for Steward Health Care Malta had said: "Steward Health Care Malta believed it had reached an agreement with the Government of Malta, only for the administration to refuse to sign the terms at the last minute. In fact, Steward representatives and US Embassy representatives were invited to attend a signing, which was then cancelled without a good and convincing explanation. Throughout both rounds of the negotiation, the US Department of State and Department of Commerce were kept informed through the US Embassy in Malta, while the US Ambassador (later Chargé d'Affaires) often sat at the negotiating table to ensure maximum transparency."
Responding to questions by this newsroom, Prime Minister Abela said that due to the tax arrears not being paid by Steward Health Care, the government has opened court proceedings against them and therefore no negotiations are ongoing.
Abela also made reference to the ongoing court case regarding the cancellation of the contract in its entirety. This case had been filed by PN MP Adrian Delia.
This case has reached its final stages and Abela said that "whatever the decision taken by court is, we must respect it."