Robert Abela insisted on Monday that since being elected prime minister more than three years ago, he has protected Malta's interests and not those of Vitals Global Healthcare or Steward Healthcare.  

“If anyone stood up to Steward in the last three years it was me,” he told reporters.  

The prime minister said Steward tried to re-negotiate their deal with the government several times but he always stood firm and insisted that the company fulfill its obligations. 

Fielding questions from the media following a Cabinet meeting at Mcast which focused on youths, Abela said he had acted over the Vitals deal when he kicked out former minister Konrad Mizzi.  

Mizzi was expelled from the PL parliamentary group in June 2020, six months into Abela’s tenure as prime minister and Labour leader.  

At the time, Abela had said that the decision to dismiss Mizzi was taken due to Mizzi's ties to the Panama Papers and secret company 17 Black. A statement dated July 2020 had said that the political responsibility of the hospitals concession had been carried after the minister responsible for the project was sacked. 

Asked why he had not stopped the Vitals deal before, Abela said the decision was up to the court.

“Respect for the principles of rule of law means allowing the court to deliver this judgment,” he said on Monday.

The prime minister said the opposition had created “a false narrative” when saying that €400 million were stolen by Steward, arguing instead that the company had fulfilled some of its obligations but failed others.  

“The company provided some services but failed in other contractual obligations,” he said.  

He said the auditor general's report he called for would show any discrepancies between what was paid by the government to Steward and Vitals and what services they actually offered. 

“If there is even one cent of a discrepancy between the payments they received and what they give back I will take legal action against Steward.”

A 136-page landmark judgment in February annulled the hospitals' deal between the government and Vitals Global Healthcare and later Steward Healthcare after finding that the two healthcare companies defrauded the country. Steward has appealed.