A Maltese court has ordered Steward Malta Management Ltd to pay nearly €160,000 to Signal 8 Security Services Malta Ltd for various services provided at Gozo General Hospital and Karin Grech Hospital that remained unpaid.

Judge Mark Simiana ruled in favour of Signal 8 and ordered Steward to pay €159,388 for security services, fire marshals, storekeepers and administrative staff supplied to the two hospitals.

According to evidence presented in court, €133,891 were owed for services carried out at Gozo General Hospital, while a further €25,497 related to work at Karin Grech Hospital.

The court also ordered Steward to pay the costs of the proceedings.

Steward had argued that responsibility for the payments lay with the Ministry for Health and the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit (CPSU). However, the court rejected the argument, noting that Steward had entered into the agreements in its own name.

The court further observed that Steward had approved extensions to employees’ contracts in 2023, which indicated its direct responsibility for the services provided.