Repubblika and the lawyer, Dr Andrew Borg-Cardona have written to the Commission for the Administration of Justice to draw their attention to the conclusions of the Auditor-General regarding the scandal in relation to the privatisation of the hospitals and subsequent transfer to VGH.

This was done in connection with the complaint which Dr Andrew Borg-Cardona and Republikka had lodged in October 2019 against Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti who quashed at appeal stag a Magistrate’s ruling which had accepted Repubblika’s request for a criminal inquiry into this privatisation.

On that occasion, Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti had said that since Konrad Mizzi, Chris Cardona and Edward Scicluna are presumed innocent, no investigation was to take place based on the facts which Repubblika presented in Court. Mr Justice Grixti had declared that Republikka put forward information that was published in the media and therefore not reliable.

However the Auditor-General has now confirmed Repubblika’s claims that the contract with VGH was all ready and prepared prior to the issuing of the tender. The terms of the contract were agreed to in order that VGH is the successful bidder and wins the tender. Therefore, the then Minister Konrad Mizzi is responsible for these manoeuvres according to the Auditor-General and as Repubblika claimed in Court.

With his actions, Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti protected Konrad Mizzi’s impunity. At the same time he further contributed to the delays by the Police who did not investigate the information that was exposed through Daphne Caruana Galizia’s journalistic investigations as well as those by the Times of Malta, The Shift News and others.

It now results that clear evidence of criminal activity – such as the Memorandum of Understanding with VGH which was signed just prior to the issuing of the tender – has been hidden.

It is evident that the delay in applying the law is in itself collaboration with criminals in order to destroy any proof that the state requires in order to bring them to justice.

Following the decision of Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti, Repubblika again requested a further inquiry which has also been accepted, and such inquiry is now ongoing.

The Prime Minister Robert Abela said that in the VGH scandal, everyone got what they deserved because Konrad Mizzi was removed from Labour’s parliamentary group. This was just the beginning. The findings of the Auditor-General confirm that corruption took place and those involved have to answer for this in court.

At the same time, those in a position to enforce the law and make sure that government ministers respect the law must also assume responsibility. It is not right that investigative journalists expose corruption and the police – just like Ian Abdilla, as he himself admitted – sit on the evidence; and the courts – just like Giovanni Grixti – wrongly apply the law allowing corrupt politicians and criminals to escape justice.

We are publishing a copy of Dr Borg-Cardona’s letter which he wrote on his own behalf and on behalf of Repubblika, letter which was sent to the Commission for the Administration of Justice.