Supporters of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat are organizing a solidarity march in Valletta on the day he faces criminal charges in court.

Muscat, along with others including Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri, will be charged on May 28 with money laundering, fraud, conspiracy, and participating in a criminal organization.

Magistrate Rachel Montebello will oversee the evidence compilation. The charges follow Magistrate Gabriella Vella’s inquiry into the Vitals hospitals deal, whose findings were forwarded to the Attorney General. Muscat has asserted his innocence and intends to prove the charges false.

In a recent interview on Labour Party radio, Muscat claimed that the whistleblower, an Indian national, only relayed hearsay about him, with no supporting documentation. He emphasized that no concrete evidence has been presented.

It was revealed that Muscat, Schembri, and Mizzi are suspected of receiving bribes from a €1 million political support fund managed by Steward Health Care. This fund was controlled by Accutor AG, a Swiss company that received €3.6 million from Steward during their acquisition of a 30-year concession for three Maltese state hospitals from Vitals Global Healthcare.

The inquiry, initiated by Repubblika in 2019, led to a police search of Muscat’s home in January 2022, where several electronic devices were seized. Muscat had unsuccessfully attempted to remove Magistrate Vella from the inquiry, citing a conflict of interest due to her relatives’ public criticism of him and concerns over inquiry leaks.

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