We refer to the report sub-titled ‘Patients tricked into making payments’ (The Sunday Times, August 29). We wish to declare that our company, Charles de Giorgio Ltd, was in no way involved in any alleged irregularities with regard to treatment with VAC therapy.

The Department of Health had been procuring VAC therapy since 2007 with excellent results. Following the success of this new therapy the authorities decided to issue a tender for Negative Pressure Therapy in August 2009. In the intervening 10 months, until the tender was awarded, this therapy was no longer available free of charge at Mater Dei Hospital.

A total of 11 patients opted to purchase the treatment and our company duly invoiced them for the products supplied.

In two instances we were informed that treatment was to be performed privately and a nursing fee was charged. If, as alleged, patients were tricked into making payments, these payments were not at the request of Charles de Giorgio Ltd, and therefore not invoiced by the company.

We wish to state that the person allegedly involved in irregularities is no longer employed with our company as of April 30.

Furthermore, our company was not aware of the alleged irregularities while this person was employed as a sales representative.

We again publicly declare that Charles de Giorgio Ltd was not involved in any way, nor aware of the alleged irregularities by its former employee.

Editor’s note: It was not our intention to implicate the company in any way, and if we did so any inconvenience is regretted.