The Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) saga has left an indelible mark on Malta’s political and legal landscape, with revelations that stretch beyond the alleged misuse of public funds into the very structures of Maltese governance. Among the key players in this affair is Magistrate Gabriella Vella, the presiding figure in the inquiry into the alleged corruption and mismanagement that plagued the multi-million-euro healthcare concession. However, exclusive new information about her familial connections is raising eyebrows.
The September 2021 Search: Uncovering a Conflict
In September 2021, a pivotal moment unfolded in the VGH inquiry. At the order of Magistrate Gabriella Vella, Maltese police executed a search warrant on the Birkirkara offices of lawyer Dr. David Joseph Meli. Magistrate Vella appointed two Northern Irish experts to oversee the search. Their role was to ensure that any documents relevant to the VGH matter were seized using a keyword search system designed to identify potentially incriminating files.
During this search, investigators unearthed something significant: Dr. Meli, acting for Steward Health Care, was negotiating with none other than Dr. Massimo Vella, a prominent lawyer for Malta’s mega building contractors. Police sources say that Massimo Vella was pressing for payments in the hundreds of thousands of euros for his clients, General Precast Concrete (GPC), a company owned by Paul Vella, known locally as “Tal-Ballut.” The search uncovered evidence referencing these negotiations, suggesting a connection between the public funds intended for the VGH project and Vella’s contractor clients.
Funds for Contractors
By October 2023, the civil Vitals case, filed by former Opposition Leader Adrian Delia, had reached a decisive moment. Malta’s Court of Appeal annulled the VGH concession, finding collusion between Steward Health Care and senior government officials. Magistrate Vella’s inquiry concluded six months later, with the appointed experts determining that the concession had never been intended to improve Malta’s healthcare sector. Instead, it was aimed at misappropriating public funds, with some of those funds allegedly benefiting contractors such as GPC.
Crucially, Dr. Massimo Vella’s involvement in securing payments for GPC was known to the inquiry as early as September 2021. Despite this, Magistrate Vella continued to preside over the investigation, raising concerns about a possible conflict of interest. As a seasoned lawyer for major contractors, Dr. Vella had a vested interest in funds connected to the VGH project. While there is yet no suggestion of wrongdoing on his part, the connection between his professional dealings and the funds later deemed misappropriated has heightened scrutiny of his sister’s role in the inquiry.
A Brother’s Involvement: Questionable Judgement?
Dr. Massimo Vella’s involvement in seeking payments for GPC raises serious questions. General Precast Concrete, known for its major construction projects, was one of the companies at the centre of the contracting web spun around the VGH deal. Investigators will have noted Vella’s pivotal role in securing funds from VGH for his clients yet chose not to comment further.
It is worth noting that, while Dr. Meli has since been charged as part of the VGH prosecutions, Dr. Massimo Vella has not. It is known that police investigations are still ongoing. However, the fact remains that the Magistrate’s brother was actively working to obtain funds for his clients at a time when those funds were later found by her own experts to have been misappropriated. The familial connections between prominent legal and judicial figures in this case only serve to heighten the sense of unease.
“Dr. Massimo Vella’s involvement in securing payments for GPC was known to the inquiry as early as September 2021.”
The fact that Magistrate Gabriella Vella, knowing of her brother’s involvement in securing payments from VGH, continued to preside over the inquiry casts a shadow over the inquiry’s impartiality.
Calls for Recusal: Muscat’s Failed Attempt
In the months leading up to the conclusion of the inquiry report, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat made several attempts to have Magistrate Gabriella Vella step down from her role in the inquiry. Muscat argued that her familial connections—specifically, her brother’s and father’s public political comments—posed a conflict of interest. Muscat’s efforts were largely based on concerns that the Magistrate’s close familial relationship could compromise the integrity of the inquiry.
Despite these calls, Magistrate Vella resisted, remaining at the helm of the inquiry throughout. The revelations of her brother’s interactions with VGH will only intensify scrutiny of her decision to recommend charges against a long list of prominent and marginal players. Answers will be sought on how certain advisors were “thrown under the bus”, while others (her brother included) were not.
A Magistrate Under the Spotlight
The role of Magistrate Gabriella Vella in the VGH inquiry will continue to be called into question not just because of her brother’s public political comments, but because of her decision to continue overseeing the investigation despite what is believed to be a clear conflict of interest. The VGH case has revealed much about the murky intersections of business, politics, and law in Malta. But perhaps one of its most troubling revelations is how deeply these conflicts of interest run, even within the very institutions tasked with uncovering the truth.
