Vitals in court: Case continues against Chris Fearne, Edward Scicluna and 13 others
LIVE | Chris Fearne, Edward Scicluna and 13 others face fraud-related charges
The compilation of evidence against Chris Fearne, Edward Scicluna and 13 others in relation to the Vitals hospital concession continues on Tuesday.
Charged alongside Fearne and Scicluna are former permanent secretaries Alfred Camilleri and Joseph Rapa, current permanent secretary Ronald Mizzi, adjudication committee members James Camenzuli, Manuel Castagna, and Robert Borg, financial controller Kenneth Deguara, and five lawyers: Kevin Deguara, Jean Carl Farrugia, Aron Mifsud Bonnici, Deborah Anne Chappell, and Bradley Gatt.
The 15 defendants are charged with fraud, with Fearne and Scicluna being additionally accused of misappropriation and making fraudulent gain by abusing their position. Money laundering is also amongst the charges facing other defendants.
Magistrate Leonard Caruana is presiding over the compilation of evidence, with today's sitting set to begin at around 11am.
The sitting comes a day after media revelations that Steward Healthcare hired a private intelligence firm to accuse Chris Fearne of accepting a bribe. According to documents obtained by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and shared with Times of Malta and the Boston Globe, Steward clashed with the Maltese health minister over the terms of its agreement to manage several hospitals in Malta.
In response, Steward enlisted CT Group, a London-based private intelligence firm, to create a damaging report accusing the health minister of accepting a substantial bribe. This report was subsequently circulated among journalists, aiming to discredit the minister.
This article will be updated throughout the sitting
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