Moviment Graffitti today organised a press conference where it presented an open letter signed by around 400 individuals coming from diverse backgrounds and social realities, and who all embrace and identify with Socialist, leftist or progressive values.

The open letter, addressed to Cabinet, is a reaction to the recent court ruling rescinding the fraudulent privatisation of three state hospitals. Those who wish to join to list of signatories can send an email to info@movimentgraffitti.org by Thursday 23 March with their name and ID card number.

The letter expresses our outrage at the fact that what has been plainly apparent from the first moment this deal was announced has taken this long to be addressed.

Years of investment in the country’s health infrastructure have been lost, with the people who most rely on Malta’s public health service being the ultimate victims.

Mr Justice Depasquale’s landmark judgement makes it abundantly clear that the people behind Vitals and Steward acted in bad faith. Their corrupt intentions were clear from the moment the secret MoU was revealed, and this latest court judgement makes their wrongdoing undeniable.

It also lays bare the utterly flawed reasoning, corrupt process, and public cost of this supposedly Socialist Government’s string of privatisation deals, through which it sold off public land and core national infrastructure related to energy and healthcare.

The privatisation of public assets should never be pursued by any government with the people’s long-term aspirations at heart. It is a procedure that benefits only the rich, to the detriment of everyone else.

That this unsound pathway to national development was adopted by the Labour Party is a stain on its history, and a betrayal of the core beliefs that so many sympathise with.

Taking into consideration the gravity of the matter, and in light of not only the recent court judgement but also the Auditor General’s various investigations into this and other privatisation initiatives, and always with the genuine intention of building a more just future for all those who live in Malta, Moviment Graffitti and the hundreds of signatories demand the following:

1. All privatisation deals in which Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, Chris Cardona, Joseph Muscat, and Projects Malta (now Malta Strategic Partnership Projects) had any role must be investigated to determine whether fraud or corruption played any part in the process. These include, inter alia, the AUM concession, the sale of the former ITS site to db Group, and the Electrogas and security of gas supply agreements.

2. Should an illicit nature be found in any of these deals, we expect the assets so disposed of to be taken back into state ownership, and criminal proceedings to be brought against those involved, no matter their current or previous position.

3. With regard to the Vitals-Steward deal, the Government should not only take back the hospitals, but also pursue all avenues to regain every cent spent from those responsible, with the reparations to be used on long-neglected elements of the public health service.

4. We also believe that this judgement should be taken as a sign and an opportunity for the Labour Party to shift its stance on privatisation, and immediately stop all current and future deals that involve the sale of public assets.

The privatisation deals seen in the last years have come at a huge cost to the country. Core infrastructure has been allowed to be run down, precious land has been sold for a pittance, hundreds of millions of euro have found their way into the pockets of the local and global rich, institutions have been undermined, and a journalist killed – with Malta paying the price.

The judgement on the hospitals deal is a wake up call. It is time to change lanes.

Soċjalisti, xellugin u progressivi jitolbu għal bidla fid-direzzjoni wara l-iskandlu tal-privatizzazzjoni tal-isptarijiet

Il-Moviment Graffitti llum organizza konferenza stampa fejn ippreżenta ittra miftuħa ffirmata minn madwar 400 mitt individwu ġejjin minn sfondi u realtajiet soċjali diversi, u li lkoll iħaddnu u jidentifikaw ma’ valuri Soċjalisti, xellugin jew progressive.

L-ittra hija indirizzata lill-Kabinett, u hija reazzjoni għas-sentenza riċenti tal-qorti li tirrevoka l-privatizzazzjoni frawdolenti ta’ tliet sptarijiet statali. Min jixtieq jingħaqad mal-firmatarji ta’ din l-ittra jista’ jibagħtilna email fuq info@movimentgraffitti.org sa nhar il-Ħamis 23 ta’ Marzu, bl-isem u n-numru tal-karta tal-identità tiegħu/tagħha.

Qed niktbu biex nesprimu r-rabja tagħna għall-fatt li dak li deher ċar mill-ewwel mument li tħabbar dan il-ftehim dam żmien twil biex jiġi indirizzat.

Snin ta’ investiment fl-infrastruttura tas-saħħa tal-pajjiż intilfu, bl-aktar nies li jiddependu fuq is-servizz tas-saħħa pubblika ta’ Malta jkunu l-vittmi prinċipali.

Il-ġudizzju importanti tas-Sur Imħallef Depasquale jagħmilha ċara ħafna li n-nies wara Vitals u Steward aġixxew b’mala fede. L-intenzjonijiet korrotti tagħhom kienu ċari mill-mument li l-MoU sigriet ġie żvelat, u din l-aħħar sentenza tal-qorti tagħmel l-għemil ħażin tagħhom innegabbli.

Il-ġudizzju jikxef ukoll ir-raġunament kompletament difettuż, il-proċess korrott, u l-ispiża pubblika tas-sensiela ta’ ftehimiet ta’ privatizzazzjoni ta’ dan il-Gvern suppost Soċjalista, li permezz tagħhom biegħ kemm art pubblika kif ukoll infrastruttura nazzjonali ewlenija relatata mal-enerġija u l-kura tas-saħħa.

Il-privatizzazzjoni tal-assi pubbliċi m’għandha qatt tiġi mfittxija minn l-ebda gvern li għandu l-aspirazzjonijiet tal-poplu għal qalbu. Hija proċedura li minnha jibbenefikaw biss l-għonja, għad-detriment ta’ kulħadd.

Li din it-triq żbaljata lejn l-iżvilupp nazzjonali ġiet adottata mill-Partit Laburista hija tebgħa fuq l-istorja tiegħu, u tradiment tat-twemmin ewlieni li jħaddan.

Meta wieħed iqis il-gravità tal-kwistjoni, u fid-dawl mhux biss tas-sentenza riċenti tal-qorti iżda wkoll tad-diversi investigazzjonijiet tal-Awditur Ġenerali dwar din u inizjattivi oħra ta’ privatizzazzjoni, u dejjem bl-intenzjoni li jinbena futur aktar ġust għal dawk kollha li jgħixu f’Malta, il-Moviment Graffitti u l-mijiet ta’ firmatarji qegħdin jagħmlu dawn it-talbiet:

1. Kull ftehim ta’ privatizzazzjoni li kellhom xi rwol fih Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, Chris Cardona, Joseph Muscat, u Projects Malta (issa Malta Strategic Partnership Projects) iridu jiġu investigati biex jiġi stabbilit jekk kienx hemm xi frodi jew korruzzjoni fil-proċess. Dawn jinkludu, fost oħrajn, il-konċessjoni tal-AUM, il-bejgħ tal-eks sit tal-ITS lil db Group, u l-Electrogas u ftehimiet ta’ provista ta’ gass.

2. Jekk tinstab natura illeċita f’xi wieħed minn dawn il-ftehimiet, nistennew li l-assi mormija jittieħdu lura fi sjieda tal-istat, u li jinġiebu proċedimenti kriminali kontra dawk involuti, tkun xi tkun il-pożizzjoni attwali jew preċedenti tagħhom.

3. Fir-rigward tal-ftehim Vitals-Steward, il-Gvern għandu mhux biss jieħu lura l-isptarijiet, iżda wkoll isegwi kull triq biex jerġa’ jikseb kull ċenteżmu li ntefaq mingħand dawk responsabbli, bir-riparazzjonijiet jintużaw fuq elementi tas-servizzi tas-saħħa pubblika li ilhom traskurati.

4. Nemmnu wkoll li din is-sentenza għandha tittieħed bħala sinjal u opportunità biex il-Partit Laburista jbiddel il-pożizzjoni tiegħu dwar il-privatizzazzjoni, u jwaqqaf minnufih kull ftehim attwali u futur li jinvolvi l-bejgħ ta’ assi pubbliċi.

Il-ftehimiet ta’ privatizzazzjoni li dehru fl-aħħar snin kienu għad-detriment tal-pajjiż. Infrastruttura integrali tħalliet titgħarraq, inbiegħet art prezzjuża biċ-ċiċri, mijiet ta’ miljuni ta’ ewro sabu posthom fil-bwiet tas-sinjuri lokali u globali, istituzzjonijiet ġew imminati, u ġurnalista inqatlet – b’Malta tħallas il-prezz ta’ dan kollu.

Is-sentenza dwar il-ftehim tal-isptarijiet hija sejħa għall-azzjoni. Wasal iż-żmien li nbiddlu d-direzzjoni.