'Rumours are rumours' - Miriam Dalli says Chris Fearne is still Malta's EU Commissioner nominee

Miriam Dalli has brushed off rumours that she could be Malta’s next EU Commissioner in the possibility that Chris Fearne is not nominated due to charges in court.

Last week, MaltaToday reported that Fearne had told the PL parliamentary group that he is ready to resign if his name is mentioned in the hospitals inquiry.

The Deputy Prime Minister was health parliamentary secretary under Konrad Mizzi when the hospitals deal was concluded with Vitals Global Healthcare in 2015 and later health minister when the concession was transferred to Steward Health Care in 2018.

In the wake of the possibility that Fearne could be among those arraigned, thus jeopardising his nomination as EU Commissioner, rumours started to circulate that the role could be passed on to Miriam Dalli.

But on Monday, Dalli said, “Rumours are rumours.” The environment minister stated, “The Prime Minister was clear on this. We have one Deputy Prime Minister and we have one EU Commissioner nominee, and that’s Chris Fearne.”

Last year, the National Audit Office had commented in its third damning report on the hospitals deal last year that Mizzi concluded side agreements with Steward Health Care after 2018 behind Fearne’s back despite the former not being health minister.

Following MaltaToday’s report, Fearne took to Facebook to say that he was certain of his innocence as he wrote, “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Court will find nothing but my complete innocence. I make it clear that I speak confidently and openly. As a minister and citizen of a democratic and European country, I continue to believe firmly that justice should not look at anyone's face and should appear to be doing just that.”