Health Minister Chris Fearne told Parliament on Wednesday that a second decision in favour of the Maltese government was taken during the international arbitration proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over the terminated hospitals deal.

He said he is unable to reveal details as he is bound by confidentiality, but said that it was over a procedural issue. "On a procedural issue, where Steward wanted one thing and the Maltese government another, it was decided in favour of the Maltese government."

This occurred last week, Fearne said.

It is unclear what this second decision concerned.

Last April, the Emergency Arbitrator decided in favour of the Maltese government and ordered Steward to bear the government’s costs in the proceedings.

The emergency arbitration procedure offers a short-term solution for parties that are unable to wait for the constitution of an arbitral tribunal.

The decision by the ICC followed a decision taken last February by a court of law in Malta, which rescinded the deal entered into by the government in 2015 with Vitals Global Healthcare, a concession that was later transferred to Steward Health Care.

The court sentence suggested fraudulent intent in the deal, and was confirmed on appeal in October, with the court speaking of collusion.

In Malta, Steward had earlier in the year announced that it was terminating the services concession agreement with government on its own accord, citing breaches of commercial agreements. The government had then informed Steward that it was taking over the hospitals, in effect rejecting Steward’s own termination of the contract and instead moved to kick them out on its own terms.

Fearne also told Parliament that the government is suing Steward for "compensation for things Steward were bound to give us, but didn't," adding that it will be chasing after every last cent highlighting that the international arbitration process had started months ago.