Malta’s ex-leader and others plead not guilty in a hospital fraud scandal that is roiling politics

By KEVIN SCHEMBRI ORLAND
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Malta’s former prime minister and other former top officials have pleaded not guilty to charges in a hospital corruption scandal that is roiling the Mediterranean island nation as it prepares for European Parliament elections. The case involves a deal, originally struck in 2015, in which the management of three of the country’s hospitals was handed over to a private company. The concessionaire changed in 2018. In February 2023, a court annulled the concession, citing fraud. The ruling led to a sharp drop in popular support for the governing Labour Party. The Court of Appeal confirmed the decision last October, ruling that there was evidence of collusion between the parties in the concession.