Malta's Ex-PM Joseph Muscat Pleads Not Guilty in Hospital Corruption Scandal Amid European Parliament Election Tensions
Malta’s former prime minister, Joseph Muscat, and other former top officials pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges related to a hospital corruption scandal. This case, which is causing significant turmoil in the Mediterranean nation, comes as Malta prepares for European Parliament elections.
The scandal centers around a 2015 deal where the management of three hospitals was handed over to a private company, with the concessionaire changing in 2018. In February 2023, a court annulled the concession due to fraud, a decision confirmed by the Court of Appeal in October, which found evidence of collusion.
Following a magisterial inquiry completed in April, charges including bribery and money laundering were filed against those involved in the deal. Muscat, who served as prime minister from 2013 to 2020, along with his former chief of staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi, pleaded not guilty at a pre-trial hearing.
Additional defendants, including former deputy prime minister Chris Fearne and Central Bank Governor Edward Scicluna, are set to face charges. Fearne, who resigned following the scandal’s emergence, has publicly denied the allegations.
Support for Muscat remains strong among some Labour Party voters, with a few hundred supporters gathering outside the courthouse chanting in his favor. However, the scandal has significantly affected Maltese politics as the European Parliament election nears.
Prime Minister Robert Abela, also from the Labour Party, has questioned the timing and process of the inquiry, suggesting it concluded just as candidates for the European Parliament elections were being nominated. His remarks sparked criticism from the opposition, who viewed them as attacks on the judiciary.
The Labour Party has been dominant in Maltese elections since 2013, but its popularity has waned due to the unfolding scandal. Malta has six seats in the European Parliament, currently divided between four Labour and two Nationalist members. Despite the Labour Party still expected to receive a majority of votes, the Nationalist Party aims to secure a third seat in the upcoming election, potentially altering the political landscape.
