A new chairman has been appointed at the Foundation for Medical Services, succeeding a person who says he had never accepted the job.
Contacted after the announcement, on November 8, that he was succeeded by former Air Malta CEO Joe Capello, Mario Grech told this newspaper he was not aware he was the foundation’s serving chairman.
“I was aware that I was nominated chairman but did not realise I was effectively appointed because I never accepted the post,” Mr Grech, a former chairman of Middle Sea Insurance, told Times of Malta.
After it was announced that Mr Capello would be taking over at FMS, Mr Grech was asked by Times of Malta why he was stepping down and he replied he was not resigning.
“I was never chairman of the FMS and this seems to be the result of a mix-up by the Health Ministry,” he said. “How could I have resigned when I was never appointed,” he asked.
I was never chairman of the FMS
Mr Grech’s appointment was announced in The Malta Government Gazette. He insisted, however, that he had informed the ministry that he was turning down the nomination as he was too busy with other things.
When asked about the matter, a Health Ministry spokesman focused only on Mr Capello’s appointment, saying he “is the best person to occupy this post”.
Asked specifically to say why Mr Grech was replaced, the spokesman did not reply.
Apart from Mr Capello, the ministry said it had appointed Duncan Mifsud, Tony Mangion, Charles Mizzi and William Cuschieri as directors.
This newspaper is also informed that the board of directors of FMS, a public agency entrusted with the running of major health projects, has never met since the change of government in March.
The Health Ministry was involved in a similar mix-up a few weeks after the election when it appointed former Nationalist MP Jean Pierre Farrugia as a director on the FMS. Dr Farrugia had written to the minister telling him he had not agreed to the appointment.
Dr Farrugia’s appointment was later withdrawn by the ministry.