The inquiry into hospitals has raised numerous concerns about working hours and issues related to equal payment for work, alongside allegations of embezzlement and concealment in financial receipts. A significant controversy revolves around a contract exceeding €11 million awarded to Irishman Jeremy Harbinson and his now-dissolved company for conducting an inquiry led by Magistrate Gabriella Vella. This inquiry, which began around election time, extended over several years.
Harbinson, whose work is central to this controversy, has distanced himself from the legal suits filed against various organizations, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Ministers Chris Fearne and Edward Scicluna. Information suggests that Harbinson’s company, serving as a middleman between the experts and Magistrate Vella, potentially inflated fees to gain a profit margin, even without a formal contractual agreement as required by law.
Jeremy Harbinson
Though Harbinson Forensics Limited was not officially appointed as a Court expert, it represented 23 independently hired experts, casting doubt on how such fees received approval. Between the decree for expert appointment issued on September 2, 2020, and the report concluded in May 2024, there were issues with payment receipts for identical work.
Both Harbinson Forensics Limited and another company called ANSEC IA submitted and received payment through two sets of receipts, even though approved receipts were vague, lacking specifics about the work done or the responsible experts. Moreover, some receipts were missing, despite additional payments being made; a noteworthy instance involves a payment exceeding €7,000 being processed just before the start of the inquiry and before expert appointments were official.
This scenario indicates potential violations of public procurement rules. From Parliamentary information, between 2017 and 2024, Harbinson’s company notably earned more than €18 million (over 60%) during this period related to the hospital inquiry.
The investigation into the controversial magisterial inquiry into hospitals, which involved payment discrepancies and questionable contracts, raises significant concerns about the integrity and transparency of public procurement processes. The involvement of expert Jeremy Harbinson and his now-dissolved company, Harbinson Forensics Limited, highlights potential gaps in oversight and accountability.
This case underscores the urgent need for reform to ensure that magisterial inquiries are conducted with the highest standards of ethical and financial accountability. Improved regulatory frameworks and oversight mechanisms are essential to restore public trust and to prevent similar issues in the future.
The government’s proposed reforms, currently under discussion in Parliament, aim to enhance control over expert applications and payments, ensuring that such inquiries are both fair and effective in their pursuit of justice.
1 Comment
Many understand that some 23 other “experts” were involved in this magisterial investigation by the famous magistrat Gabriella Vella , CAN THE PEOPLE KNOW WHO THESE 23 EXPERTS ARE AND HOW MUCH THEY WERE PAID FOR THEIR SERVICE . Because if they are Maltese experts and come from the Satanic Terrorist Group , than we know from were they get their money from apart from, USAID and money given to international media to promote Matsola second term as president of the EU . RULE OF LAW AT IT’S BEST