In such a delicate moment, Government should be clear on how it will proceed with the rescinding of the Steward hospital Public Private Partnership, in the light of both the reports by the Auditor General on bad governance and breaches of contract and following the judgement by the courts. ADPD – The Green Party is insisting that all upcoming payments to Steward under its contract are to be deposited in court until the contract is finally terminated, whether by court decision or otherwise. In the meantime, employees and suppliers delivering healthcare services in the three Steward hospitals should receive payments from the funds due to Stewards under the direction of the Courts.

In a press conference in front of the Law Courts in Valletta, ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar explained that while the decision of the Civil Court is welcome, this is only the first step in what is possibly a long process that may trigger several additional legal actions. Had government been serious it should not have waited for the court judgement to act, but should have acted earlier – it already had all the information it needed.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said “It is important for the government to ensure that taxpayer money is safeguarded in the best way possible while allowing for the legal process to take its course”. “This is why we insist that all future payments to Steward to be deposited in Court, instead of these being paid over directly to Steward Healthcare. Where possible, for instance in the case of payments to employees and suppliers, such payments should be made under the Court’s direction and deducted from the amount that is deposited in court. Only by doing so will we ensure that public funds are adequately protected.”

“It is paramount that Robert Abela, Chris Fearne and Clyde Caruana act in the best interests of the public exchequer, this is why we are also asking the government for full disclosure: tell the people what we owe Steward in full. We must know. This is ultimately our money and we have a right to know”.

What happened with Vitals and Steward should never have happened. Cacopardo highlighted that if the annulment of the contract is confirmed on appeal, the process for recovery of money that has already been paid to Vitals and Steward will need to start immediately and this is a process that can easily take many years. 

“We have a challenge before us. It is crucial that each and every one of us stands up to be counted,” Cacopardo concluded.

***

Il-ħlasijiet lil Steward Healthcare, minn issa sat-tmiem tal-kuntratt għandhom ikunu depożitati l-Qorti

F’dan il-mument daqstant delikat, il-Gvern għandu jkun ċar dwar kif fi ħsiebu jimxi fil-konfront ta’ Stewart Healthcare fid-dawl kemm tar-rapporti tal-Awditur Ġenerali kif ukoll id-deċiżjoni tal-Qorti.  ADPD – The Green Party qed jinsisti li l-pagamenti kollha li minn issa ‘l quddiem jeħtieġ li jsiru skont il-kuntratt li l-Qorti ordnat li jitħassar għandhom ikunu depożitati  l-Qorti u li ma jingħatawx iktar flus milli diġa ngħataw lil Steward Healthcare.

Dan għandu jsir sakemm il-kuntratt jitħassar definittivament, kemm jekk dan isir b’deċiżjoni tal-Qorti tal-appell kif ukoll jekk isir b’xi mod ieħor.

Sadanittant u sakemm jinqata’ l-appell, is-salarji dovuti lill-impjegati tat-tliet sptarijiet preżentment f’idejn Steward Healthcare direttament mill-flus dovuti lil Steward u dan għandu jsir taħt id-direzzjoni tal-Qorti. L-istess għandu jsir fil-konfront ta’ dawk li jipprovdu servizzi lill-istess sptarijiet.

F’konferenza stampa quddiem il-Qorti l-Belt Valletta, Dr Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali tal-partit spjega li filwaqt li d-deċiżjoni tal-Qorti kienet aħbar tajba, din kienet biss l-ewwel pass f’dak li probabbilment ikun proċess twil li jista’ jwassal għal diversi azzjonijiet legali addizzjonali. Kieku l-Gvern kien serju ma kienx joqgħod jistenna d-deċiżjoni tal-Qorti biex jaġixxi: kien jiċċaqlaq ferm qabel għax diġa kellu l-informazzjoni kollha f’idejh.

Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson tal-partit qal li  “Huwa importanti li l-Gvern jassigura li fondi pubbliċi huma mħarsa bl-aħjar mod possibbli anke sakemm il-proċess legali jieħu l-kors tiegħu. Huwa għalhekk li qed ninsistu li kull pagament futur li Steward ikun depożitat il-Qorti flok ma dan jgħaddi direttament għand Steward Healthcare. Fil-kaz tal-ħlas ta’ pagi ta’ impjegati u dawk li jissupplixxu materjal u servizzi l-ħlas għandu jsir taħt id-direzzjoni tal-Qorti u jitnaqqas mill-ammont depożitat fil-Qorti. Huwa b’dan il-mod biss li jista’ jkun assigurat li l-fondi pubbliċi huma mħarsa bis-serjetà.”

“Hu tal-ikbar importanza li Robert Abela, Chris Fearne u Clyde Caruana jaġixxu fl-interess tal-erarju pubbliku: għalhekk qed ninsistu li l-Gvern għandu jagħti informazzjoni sħiħa b’mod pubbliku dwar dak kollu li hu dovut lil Steward. Għandna nkunu nafu. Għandna d-dritt li nkunu nafu għax il-fondi pubbliċi huma flusna.”

Dak li ġara ma’ Vitals u Steward qatt ma messu seħħ.

Cacopardo emfasizza li jekk l-annullament tal-kuntratt ikun ikkonfermat fl-appell, ikollu jibda immedjatament il-proċess biex jinġabru lura l-flus li diġa tħallsu Vitals and Steward. Dan probabbilment jieħu snin kbar u għalhekk hu importanti li l-problema ma nagħmluhiex ikbar milli hi. Għalhekk il-proposta tagħna li l-Gvern jiddepożita l-flus kollha li jistgħu jkunu dovuti lil Steward fil-Qorti.

“Quddiemna lkoll għandna sfida kbira. Hu kruċjali li kull wieħed minna jkun ċar fi kliemu.”