Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has admitted that there were hidden interests in the deal which saw the government transfer three hospitals to the private sector, opposition leader Bernard Grech said Saturday.

Grech was referring to a statement made by Muscat following an appeals court judgment last Monday, which confirmed a ruling that had been given by a court of law last February. The court had annulled an agreement which had seen, in 2015, three public hospitals being passed on to Vitals Health Care, a concession which had been later taken over by Steward Health Care.

After Monday’s judgment, Muscat said that hidden vested interests, opposing the modernization and proper accountability of our national health systems, played a significant role in obstructing the complete implementation of the Public-Private Partnership.

Interviewed by Andrew Azzopardi on Saturday, Grech said that the privatisation of public health, especially hospitals, was never on the books for the Nationalist Party. He added that anytime an election comes around, the Labour Party brings up the mantra that the PN wants to privatise health, “but in reality, it was the PL that did this”. He said that it was evident from the beginning that Vitals was a “no-go” and that the company had no experience in health whatsoever, “aside from not knowing who was hidden behind it, and there is still a lot of secrecy around it”.

Grech said that if you want work done you would go and find someone who you know has the experience to do the job well. “I especially wouldn’t keep giving them money after realising that they are doing nothing at all,” he added.

The opposition leader remarked that Labour and Abela’s lies are so massive that they are even portraying the Court’s findings as if they are fabricated. Grech said that the actions revealed by the Court findings are indicative of treachery.

“I spoke with the Police Commissioner to ask him whether he’s conducting a separate investigation on these findings and he confirmed that he will not be doing so. It’s shameful.” Following the judgment, Grech, together with Adrian Delia who, as former Opposition Leader had initiated the case, had sought a police investigation, but police chief Angelo Gafa had told them that the police were waiting for the conclusion of the magisterial inquiry.

Grech explained that Angelo Gafa, the Commissioner of Police, does not need anyone’s approval to conduct an investigation and is not required to wait for a magisterial inquiry to conclude before being able to act. Grech said that Gafa is obligated to do everything he can to prevent the tampering of evidence and that he must take immediate action.

He questioned what Robert Abela means when he says that 400 million euros were not taken by Vitals. “Is Abela suggesting that someone pocketed some extra money? Does he know that someone, somewhere, took millions?”

The PN makes it clear that responsibility needs to be shouldered, Grech said. He added that the PN is providing every opportunity for the government to do its job and do the right thing. He said that the government is “running away” from opening a case against Vitals so that the money is returned to the people. The Prime Minister has the executive power to get the money returned, Grech said, “he needs to open a case against Vitals, what is preventing him from doing so?”

He compared the situation to the social benefits scheme, where the people who had taken the money were taken to court and ordered to pay the money back. “Why has this not happened in the case of Vitals?”

Grech said that Abela’s comments in Parliament are a dangerous attack on the judiciary of Malta. On Monday, “He is attacking the impartiality of the courts. This is natural for Robert Abela, he attacks everyone who does not play his tune.” Grech remarked that Abela was visibly uncomfortable and panicked during the parliament session that took place on Monday.

On Monday, Abela said in Parliament that “when a member of the judiciary does not rule in the way they (the Opposition) want, they and the civil society led by the brother of the man sitting in front of me, break them, destroy them, humiliate them and use all forms of intimidation so that, next time, so as not to be subjected to such vicious criticism, they will judge in their favour.”

Speaking on the government’s announcement regarding an increase in the national minimum wage, Grech said that the government needs to understand that the cost of living will keep increasing. He continued that the government needs to acknowledge that it has an obligation to ensure that the social partners, particularly the employers in this case, are provided assistance through the added pressure which will be put upon them as a result of this change.

Grech said that the PN agrees with every increase, although he remarked that the government’s planned minimum wage increase is minimal. “The most important thing is that people can keep up with life and be able to experience a good quality of life.”

He said that employers will experience added pressure and therefore will have to shoulder it in some way, which he believes will likely be through increasing prices. He said that this would result in a cycle where people who were already not able to keep up would still struggle. He said that the government has an obligation to help employers by providing tax benefits and tax credits so that an increase in prices is not necessary. He added that the government should also not tax the cost of living adjustment.

Azzopardi asked the opposition leader if the time has come for political parties to disassociate themselves from institutions such as the Broadcasting Authority.

Grech replied that the question is not whether the parties should have representatives in the BA, but whether the representatives who are not associated with the parties are there to work towards the constitution or towards the government or PBS. He recounted the PN’s cases in court against the BA and PBS. “The courts keep telling us that we are right, that the Broadcasting Authority or PBS did not do their job.” He referred to PBS as a “propaganda machine for the government”.

“When you see the Broadcasting Authority stolen, TVM is Labour propaganda, the Police Commissioner refuses to do anything, Jean Paul Sofia’s mother had to go to great lengths to get a public enquiry enacted, and Robert Abela is using the people’s money to benefit his popularity only, then the people must go out on the streets.”

Grech concluded by urging people to participate in the upcoming protest outside of Castille on Sunday.