Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that an international arbitration tribunal which rejected Steward Healthcare’s claim that the government unlawfully terminated the hospitals concession agreement has exposed the ‘farce’ claims made by the Opposition that government paid for €400 million in services the three hospitals did not receive.

During a press conference on Monday, hours after the tribunal’s decision, the Prime Minister and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said that the international arbitration tribunal’s decision rejecting Steward Healthcare’s multi-million claim against the Maltese government confirmed that the administration had successfully defended the national interest in the long-running hospitals concession dispute.

The International Arbitration Tribunal, sitting under the International Chamber of Commerce, dismissed Steward Healthcare’s claim that Malta had unlawfully terminated the hospitals’ concession agreement.

It also said that the arbitration decision awards no damages to either side.

“This decision confirms that the government acted with skill, competence, and full knowledge of the facts to defend the interests of the Maltese people,” Abela said, describing the 200-page decision as a “high-level and detailed” ruling which still needs to be analysed in full by technical experts.

Abela said that the Opposition and other critics repeatedly claimed that the government had paid Steward €400 million for services it never received.

“The tribunal has thrown that falsehood into the dustbin,” he said.

Abela explained that independent experts appointed by the tribunal conducted a technical analysis to establish what Malta paid Steward for and what it received in return.

“The conclusion was clear: Steward provided services to patients and carried out infrastructural work that now belongs to the Maltese state. The government got fair value for money, not only did we receive the service we paid for, but the state and people obtained a just return for every euro spent,” he said.

In fact, Abela added that the tribunal concluded that Steward actually provided more services than what the government had paid for, with the total benefits received by government standing at €889,434,091 while the benefits received by Steward Healthcare standing at €884,644,629, with a shortfall of €4.78 million owed to Steward Health Care

Abela accused the Nationalist Party of spreading “a farce and fabrication from start to finish” by suggesting that the Maltese government had been defrauded of hundreds of millions of euros.

“This decision confirms that the narrative that Malta paid hundreds of millions for services never rendered was a farce, a fabrication sold to the Maltese public,” he said.

Abela thanked Justice Minister Attard for his constant involvement “from day one” in the case, including in the proceedings initiated by the Opposition against the Attorney General.

“Once again, we have shown that when it comes to serious legal proceedings, we are capable of defending the national interest,” the Prime Minister said.

He said that all three hospitals previously managed under the concession, St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo General Hospital, are now fully back in state hands.

Justice Minister Attard said the tribunal’s decision confirmed that the government acted responsibly and in the public interest throughout.

“This arbitration confirms that the government proceeded with full responsibility and justice. The controlled step-in we took was done according to the conditions established by government itself,” he said.

Attard explained that after the concession was annulled by Maltese courts, the government immediately took over the hospitals’ administration rather than waiting for appeal outcomes. Steward, in turn, filed for emergency arbitration, which was dismissed, he said.

“The tribunal confirmed the government’s position, justifying its actions and expenses with Steward Healthcare,” Attard said, describing the ruling as “not just a legal outcome, but a certificate of good governance and of our duty to protect the Maltese people.”

He expressed appreciation to all legal teams representing Malta, especially State Advocate Chris Soler and the technical experts who worked “tirelessly and with dignity” to defend Malta’s position in such a crucial case.

Attard accused the Opposition of “irresponsibility” for having filed court actions to obstruct the State Advocate’s legal process.

“Even while some tried to undermine the arbitration’s credibility, the government continued to act diligently, cautiously, and responsibly, to protect public finances and public health,” he said.

Attard said that the tribunal confirmed every cent invested by the government had been recouped in value.

 “This decision dismantles the Opposition’s unfounded accusations that the government took no concrete action and that €400 million were wasted,” he said.

“We will continue to work seriously to strengthen our institutions and place the public interest first. When Malta is challenged, we should stand united,” Attard said.

Asked by the media whether the full arbitration decision will be made public, the Prime Minister said that he is in favour of publishing it once legal advisers confirm this can be done.

“My wish is for the sentence to be published. I have already expressed that. However, the advice I have received is that the decision still needs to be analysed in detail. If I am given the go-ahead, I will publish it immediately,” Abela said.

He reiterated that one of the most misleading claims made by Opposition leaders in recent years was that the government had paid €400 million to Steward without receiving adequate service.

“The tribunal examined both the Maltese government’s and Steward’s positions, carried out a detailed technical analysis, and concluded exactly what our experts had long been saying, that we received more service than what we paid for,” he said.

Abela explained that the tribunal’s report includes a meticulous point-by-point review of all payments, investments, and works carried out under the concession.

“The first court judgment had already given a detailed assessment of the works. The impression given by the Opposition that no works were done is false. Our own technical and civil experts had assured me of that, and now this has been confirmed, not only by the Court of Appeal but also by the International Chamber of Commerce’s Arbitration Tribunal,” he said.

“It is a studied, meticulous decision that goes point by point through the payments and works done. I am satisfied with it,” Abela said.

Asked whether government, or Steward would appeal the decision, Abela said he could “safely say” the decision is final.

“We believe in it, and we have defended it. This is the conclusion of a long process where the Maltese government stood firm and protected the public interest,” he said.

The Prime Minister also clarified that the tribunal’s findings are consistent with the Maltese courts’ earlier judgments that annulled the hospitals’ concession, as well as the appeals.

“The arbitration decision builds upon what was decided by the Maltese courts. It draws from the Court of Appeal’s conclusions and confirms the reasoning of the first instance judgment, which ordered the rescission of the concession. It did not reopen the issue of collusion or fraud, since all parties had already agreed that no such finding was made,” Abela explained.

When asked if he personally agreed with all of the initial Court’s findings, Abela said that whether he agreed or not, he bowed his head in respect for the courts and for the judicial process.

“We will go before the tribunal and fight for every cent that could be due to the Maltese people. That is what I had said from the start, and that is what we have done,” he said.