Lawyer and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi has claimed that Chris Fearne refused to give former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat a guarantee in 2020 that he would keep Steward Health Care in Malta and give Muscat immunity.

Jason Azzopardi spoke during an interview on Smash TV's Kullħadd Jgħid Tiegħu with lawyer Emmy Bezzina, and recalled a conversation he had with Fearne.

Azzopardi said that he spoke to Chris Fearne, then Labour Party deputy leader and Health Minister, alone a few months after the Labour Party's leadership election in 2020.

Azzopardi claims Fearne told him that during the PL leadership campaign in January 2020, Muscat had met him (Fearne) and wanted two guarantees, the first being that if Fearne becomes PL Leader and thus becomes Prime Minister, Steward would remain in Malta. Azzopardi told viewers that Fearne told him that his "response to Joseph Muscat for this request was forget it."

The second request that Joseph Muscat made to Fearne was that justice would not touch Muscat, Azzopardi said. The former PN MP again said that he was recounting what Fearne told him in 2020.

"Fearne told me he responded with nż*****," quoting a course word in Maltese that translates roughly to absolutely not.

"Chris told me that from that day on, Muscat began working all out in favour of Robert Abela" during the campaign, Jason Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi said that if he were in court he would relay what he just said under oath.

The Times of Malta reported that Joseph Muscat denied Azzopardi's claims, reporting he said they are "total hogwash". 

Fearne resigned in May after he was accused with charges related to the hospitals' inquiry. A court of law has rescinded a deal which had seen the transfer of three hospitals to be run by the provate sector.

In January 2020, Fearne appeared to be the favourite to win the race for the PL leadership - soon after the disgraced exit of Joseph Muscat - until Robert Abela popped up to beat him in the election.