Former Health Minister Louis Galea said today that under his watch, the Foundation for Medical and Social Services and the government did not know of the alleged fraud in the certification of Mater Dei concrete.
Dr Galea was Health Minister and chairman of the FMSS up to the election of October 1996 during the first phase of the construction of Mater Dei Hospital.
He said in a statement today that the government, the FMSS board and himself acted diligently and as reasonably and objectively as possible to ensure that an adequate control framework was in place and implemented.
Dr Galea stated “no collusion at all ever existed by myself, or to my knowledge by the members of the FMSS board at the time I was involved, in any improper or illegal act as the report attempts to imply in conclusion five”.
Noting that he had already answered the questions put to him by the board on April 9, Dr Galea said he fully supported all endeavours to hold those responsible to account for any fraudulent actions in the supply or testing of poor quality concrete.
Dr Galea said that while the whole experience showed that there were lessons to be learnt to prevent such situations in the future, one could not expect political responsibility to be borne for fraud which was completely unknown to the political authorities.
“Fraud by its very nature is intended to deceive or override controls and should be unreservedly pursued.
“As a result, responsibility in this case should be borne by those allegedly involved in the fraudulent supply or testing of poor quality concrete.”
Dr Galea declared he would continue to collaborate fully with the authorities in full compliance with the laws of Malta.
He said, however, he was releasing this comment without prejudice to his reservations on the inquiry itself, the lack of evidence backing up certain statements made by a number of witnesses, and the evidence backing up certain conclusions expressed by the board of inquiry, and without prejudice to any investigations that might be ongoing on the case.