A list of 34 individuals including the people running Vitals, Steward and Accutor are set to be criminally charged in connection to the hospitals deal magisterial inquiry.

They form part of a third list of people facing accusations, with the first two groups scheduled to be arraigned next week.

Charges were recommended by investigators against the man believed to be running Vitals Shaukat Ali Chaudhry, managing directors Sri Ram Tumuluri and Mark Edward Pawley, Vitals CEO and later managing director Armin Ernst, Steward CEO Ralph De La Torre, and Accutor AG owner Attaul Wasay Bhatti, Times of Malta reports.

The criminal charges they face are: money laundering, trading in influence, criminal conspiracy and bribery of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, former minister Konrad Mizzi and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

The other 28 individuals range from family members to business partners and employees. All those named in this group are believed to reside abroad.

Investigators have also singled out 31 companies which these people owned or were legal representatives of, including Vitals Global Healthcare Limited, Steward Healthcare International Limited and Accutor Consulting AG, the report adds.

The first group of 11 individuals, including the former prime minister, Schembri and Mizzi will be arraigned on Tuesday accused of money laundering and other major crimes. A second gorup, which includes the governor of the Central Bank of Malta Edward Scicluna and former Health Minister Chris Fearne will be charged on Wednesday.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella concluded her inquiry and passed the report on to the Attorney General last month.

The inquiry was initiated in 2019 on Repubblika’s initiative.