Simon Busuttil On Vitals Ruling: Every Public Project Was Designed To Make Those In Power Rich
Former PN head Simon Busuttil celebrated the recent landmark ruling against the government’s hospital deal with Vitals-Steward, but warned that this only constitutes legal responsibility and not a political one.
“The Court has given us a ray of hope. But everyone knows that fighting in court means you have to wait several years and as they say, justice delayed is justice denied. And also why do we have to go to court to stop a corrupt contract?” Bussitil wrote.
“Why was it not stopped immediately by the government instead of being allowed to continue for seven whole years, so that bribery continues? The answer is obvious: because it was the government itself that was part of the corruption.”
“Court only leads to legal responsibility. Why will no one take political responsibility?”
Busuttil, who is now Secretary General of the European People’s Party, added that the deal echoes a similar attitude taken for other public projects under the Labour administration.
“Every public project is designed with the thought of how [those in power] will get rich. From power stations to public hospitals. From road projects to building permits. From passports to travel visas. Even on a simple driving license, they got their hands dirty.”
This impunity was made possible, he said, “because whoever is in power gives protection to criminals instead of taking steps against them.”
“When power and crime become one, you don’t have democracy. You have no rule of law. You have a mafia government.”
Busuttil congratulated his PN successor Adrian Delia for his work on the Vitals deal, while also mentioning the work of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was the first to flag issues with the hospital deal when it was awarded to Vitals Global Healthcare.
“The day that justice takes place, in our country we will be able to breathe clean air again, free of filth and corruption. And Malta will indeed be victorious.”
What did you make of Busuttil’s words?
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