The ongoing saga of the hospitals’ agreement has become more intriguing and disturbing than ever. It all began around 2015, amidst much hype and promise. We were told that this deal would be a game changer, set to revolutionize public healthcare for the better. Yet, nine years later, we find ourselves confronting a grim reality: €400 million of public funds unaccounted for, a concessionaire that went bankrupt, a deal declared fraudulent by two courts, court proceedings involving charges of money laundering and corruption, and, most recently, evidence of nefarious forces targeting the former health minister himself.

Chris Fearne, who steadfastly defended the agreement as “the real deal,” now finds himself under parliamentary protection. Fearne’s fears are not without basis; he has expressed concerns that those who orchestrated a smear campaign against him could escalate their efforts. The revelation that Steward, the US-based concessionaire, allocated €6.5 million of taxpayers’ money to fund this campaign is both shocking and disheartening. The campaign targeted Fearne, then deputy prime minister, and other yet-to-be-identified prominent figures.

In an extraordinary move, Speaker Anglu Farrugia not only granted Fearne’s request for protection but also instructed the foreign ministry to raise the matter with the US embassy. This raises legitimate questions about who exactly orchestrated this mudslinging exercise. It is clear that this deal should never have been allowed to proceed. From the outset, alarm bells rang during the tendering process, but these were ignored. For years, prominent government figures defended the deal vigorously, discrediting anyone who raised concerns, including the UHM Voice of the Workers, which had requested an investigation by the National Audit Office.

We have now reached a point where the consensus is that the deal was ill-conceived and corrupt to its core. Even those who once defended it are no longer contesting this fact. The critical question now is whether those involved are willing to come clean. They face a stark choice: either stay the course and risk going down with the sinking ship or jump ship, seek to save themselves, and, more importantly, help deliver justice.

This deal has cheated all Maltese citizens, especially hospital patients who were promised better healthcare but received anything but. It is imperative that justice is served, and those responsible are held accountable. The Maltese public deserves transparency and accountability, and this saga must serve as a lesson in vigilance and integrity in public dealings.