The government is refusing to provide parliament with information about the cost of repairs it carried out at Mater Sei over the last ten years, following claims made by disgraced former health minister Konrad Mizzi about ‘defective concrete’ at the hospital built by a PN administration.
A few months into Labour’s new government, elected in 2013, Mizzi ran a media campaign claiming that the concrete used for the building of the massive Mater Dei Hospital was defective and of inferior quality.
He claimed that parts of the hospital, particularly the Emergency building, were in serious trouble and could potentially collapse without immediate action, which was a cause for alarm.
Boosting the issue further, disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat claimed that the government had to spend some €150 million to remedy the defective structures at the hospital.
Labour had also said that it would sue Skanska, the Swedish builders of the hospital, to claim damages.
Ten years later and with no repairs in sight, PN MP Chris Said asked the government to list the repairs made on the “defective concrete structures” every year since 2014, their cost, and who had done the necessary work.
The Health Minister said the information “will be given sometime later”.
One of the many news articles on Labour’s spin that Mater Dei was in danger of collapse.
In reality, the government has not conducted any repairs on Mater Dei’s faulty concrete.
The Opposition, as well as architect Joe Cassar, now Prime Minister Robert Abela’s architect for his boutique hotel project in Xewkija, had rubbished Konrad Mizzi’s claims.
An arbitration court case against Skanska initiated by Mizzi, through which well-connected lawyers were paid tens of thousands from taxpayers, also reached a dead end. The government’s claims were rejected, and Malta had to withdraw the case.
Contacted by The Shift, PN MP Chris Said said he would file the same question again when parliament resumes as the government had to come clean.
“People were perplexed at the time of Konrad Mizzi’s claims. If these were untrue and invented, as they seem, then the government should say so and apologise,” Said insisted.
The concrete for Mater Dei was mainly provided by Blokrete Ltd, Tal-Maghtab Construction and Mixer Ltd, a now-defunct company owned by Bastjan Dalli, brother of disgraced former European Commissioner John Dalli.
Bastjan dalli Dak li jaghmel il mirakli li container iddikjarat ilma isir WHISKY.
NAHSEB huh il qassis mar ibierku u huh JOHNNY CASH SAMLU ISSASLA.
TISKANTA FEJN JIDHLU ID DALLIJIET IKUN HEMM SAHTA
During the same 2 years when alfred sant was pm, the labour govt was building the cospicua old peoples home which was demolished this year due to……..guess what sub standard concrete: so was said by Robert abela. Yet nothing was done on mater dei. Only parole parole parole from the labour govt.
Seems to me that PL =
now stands for
Pathetic Liars.
Permanent Liars
Psychopathic Liars
Knowing what we know now about their methods, I read between the lines. Just another route of access to state funds.
Konrad Mizzi should be held for perjury in the courts of Malta. As Minister he swore to respect the laws of Malta. He kept telling lies about everything. Mater Dei , Air Malta , Energy , and what abut the secret contract with Shanghai Electric. When will this be investigated by the NAO?
The fact that the govt is refusing to give Parliament the relevant details of the repairs supposedly carried out in Mater Dei only means that they are lying through their teeth.
I’m convinced that NO repairs whatsoever were ever carried out.
150 million 🤦🤦 I have visited Materdei often in the past 10 years and never noticed any particular works being done around the Emergency 150 million would be extensive works and definitely very visible.
Even the pavements around Mater Dei ring road are still as good as new.
Not even the tiles on the floor all over the place is still as good as new , despite the millions of persons that walked those floors.