Alfred Sant’s closest lieutenants are livid that private medical information related to the Opposition leader’s serious condition was leaked to individuals in the press.
Labour sources told MaltaToday they were confronted with precise and confidential information related to the Labour leader’s state of health by a journalist. The sources told MaltaToday that they have strong suspicions of who from inside Mater Dei was behind the leak, but that it would be close to impossible to confirm.
“When I was faced with this confidential and personal information by a journalist, I could only think of how someone could stoop so low.”
A very senior Labour source confirmed that the information was not as yet published but he would not be too surprised if it was.
When it was pointed out that such information could be relevant considering the status of the person in question – Sant – the same source said: “This is Malta and you cannot simply ignore the privacy and the sentiments of his family. And since when have we started discussing the state of health of public people in the local press?”
Last Sunday, the Sunday Times chose to part with tradition and enter into the details of Sant’s operation. The Sunday newspaper went as so far as to declare the growth that was removed from Sant as having been malignant, and therefore cancerous.
Later this week, surgeon Prof. Anthony Zammit who operated on Dr Sant stated that the Labour chief would be in a position to address the party conference planned for the end of January.
The Sunday Times’ revelation pushed close family members of Alfred Sant into a panic and a fury. “The same yardstick was not used when Fenech Adami was operated on two separate occasions, but then what do you expect? Take a look at the press statements of the day,” MaltaToday was told.
On Friday, Alfred Sant was discharged from hospital. He is expected to spend weeks convalescing at home. But Labour insiders are still expecting him to address the MLP general conference in three weeks’ time.