Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/834699
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY 2017 News 6 YANNICK PACE WITH just over three days to the general election, Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil has said that he is informed that a statement issued by Vitals Glob- al Healthcare (VGH) over the weekend that dismissed claims that any of its owners or officials own accounts at Pilatus Bank, is not correct. VGH was awarded a concession for the maintenance and opera- tion of the Gozo General Hospi- tal (GGH), as well as Karin Grech and St Luke's hospitals. "I said that if it were to result that anyone connected with the hospital personally, or through a company, has an account at Pila- tus Bank, it would be the straw that breaks the camel's back," he said. "I take the statement issued with a pinch of salt because the information I have is a bit differ- ent, but everything has its own time." Busuttil was speaking at a press conference outside the GGH where he reiterated his pledge to "take back" the hospital, and return it to the people, after it was "privatised and stolen from the Gozitan people behind their backs." To add insult to injury, Busuttil said, the hospital was awarded to a company whose owners were not known, under mysterious conditions. "The call for applications for the hospital to be given to the private sector, was opened on 27 March, 2015, and closed less than two months later," he said, adding that any company with- out prior knowledge of the gov- ernment's intentions could not have come up with a feasible plan in such a short timeframe. "It is clear there this was done in bad faith," Busuttil said. "The people behind these companies, through a complex structure with several offshore companies in jurisdictions that facilitate tax evasion, are not even known to us," he continued. Busuttil said that the promises made by VGH and the govern- ment, were all empty promises, with none having been kept. "These people have taken €80 million from our taxes so far, and till the end of the year, the num- ber will be much bigger. Unless things change on 3 June," Busut- til said. He said that despite plans for Barts Medical School to have opened by last September, the campus has not been completed. The PN leader added that by last January, a new 250-bed hos- pital was meant to have been constructed, in addition to the renovation of GGH to accom- modate 200 beds for long-term care. "The work was meant to start last March and was meant to be completed later this year," he said. "Not only is work not at an advanced stage, but there are employees at this hospital work- ing out of a container." Busuttil said a government run by him would publish all con- tracts signed by VGH "for every- one to know the contents of the contract signed by Joseph Mus- cat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi". Once the hospital is re-nation- alised, Busuttil said, his govern- ment would embark on a mod- ernisation project that will give back to the people the "modern hospital they deserve". This, he said would be done us- ing EU funds, as had been done with the Sir Anthony Mamo On- cology Centre. Busuttil said that a PN government would guaran- tee to all hospital employees, that they will be able to keep their job, adding that those who had moved to VGH from a govern- ment post would also be given the option to return to their pre- vious job. Questioned by journalists on the cost involved in re-nation- alising the hospital, Busuttil in- sisted that the question one re- ally needed to ask was how much VGH was costing the taxpayer, given that the company has al- ready been paid €80 million with the country having nothing to show for it. In addition, he said that taking back the hospital would be done on a matter of principle and that any "serious government" nego- tiating a contract with the private sector must ensure that there are clauses allowing the government to stop the contract if and when it needs to. THIS IS A PAID ADVERT Busuttil takes Vitals denial over Pilatus Bank account 'with a pinch of salt' PN will publish all contracts made with VGH