Disgraced Malta Deputy PM Steps Down, Withdraws EU Bid Amid Hospital Deal Charges

Malta's deputy prime minister, Chris Fearne, resigned and withdrew his European Commission bid after facing fraud charges in a hospital scandal. Fearne maintains his innocence but prioritized Malta's well-being, asking the Prime Minister to remove his candidacy. The charges stem from a 2015 deal to privatize hospital management, which was overturned by the courts due to fraud. Fearne and other officials, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, are implicated. Despite denying wrongdoing, Fearne deemed his resignation necessary to put Malta first.

Malta's deputy prime minister resigned Friday, and ended his European Commission bid, after he was charged with fraud in a hospital scandal roiling the Mediterranean island nation.

In his resignation letter, Chris Fearne denied wrongdoing but said he must put Malta before everything else.

In the letter, he asked Prime Minister Robert Abela to withdraw his candidacy to be Malta's candidate for the European Commission.

"I want to be clear, I am taking this step not because I have any doubts on my innocence, but because it is the right thing to do," Fearne wrote.

He resigned days after news emerged that he is facing charges of fraud and misappropriation of funds related to an investigation into the government's 2015 deal to turn over management of three hospitals to a private company. The concession was annulled by the courts last year in a judgment that cited fraud.

Fearne, who was a junior health minister at the time of the deal, is one of a number of past and present officials facing charges, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Muscat also denies wrongdoing.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)