JAKARTA - Maltese Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne resigned on Saturday following a corruption investigation into him regarding the controversial privatization process against a number of state-owned hospitals.
In his letter on social media, he asserted that he was innocent. He admitted to resigning for the sake of the national interest, but felt the accusations against him were unfair.
Feare, who also serves as Minister of Funding, Equality, Reform and the European Social Dialogue, became the first victim of a hospital corruption scandal in the Labor Party Cabinet led by Prime Minister Robert Abela.
The scandal involving the three state-owned hospitals has been a public debate for some time.
Fearne, who claims not to know the reasons behind the accusations against him, urged Abela to withdraw her candidacy as the next member of the European Commission.
Responding to Fearne's resignation letter, Abela asked the representative to reconsider his decision.
Fearne thanked Abela for her support, but she stressed her commitment to her decision.
Fearne also served as Deputy Minister of Health of Malta under the Labor Party administration in 2015.
Maltese media reported that Fearne and a number of other high-ranking government officials accused by prosecutors earlier this week of misusing funds and defrauding the government during the hospital privatization process which was considered controversial.
In the same investigation, former PMJoseph Muscat and his chief of staff, Keith Schembri, as well as former health minister Konrad Mizzi also faced several serious charges, including money laundering, bribery, and the establishment of a criminal organization.
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The government's leader of the Nationalist Party (PN), Bernard Grech, emphasized on Facebook that Fearne's resignation was "inevitable".
He criticized Abela for insisting that no one resign, which showed a lack of concern for the situation.
Grech said any public official facing such accusations should not continue to serve.
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