UEFA mum on paedophile controversy

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has declined comment on the controversy surrounding the way Malta Football Association president Joe Mifsud handled the employment of a convicted paedophile at a football ground frequented by youths.

The organisation's PRO, William Galliard, said that UEFA knew about the controversy but that it had no position on the matter.

When it was pointed out that UEFA's lack of comment seemed incongruent with the stand the organisation usually takes on children's issues, especially given that Dr Mifsud is their paid official, Mr Galliard said the organisation had nothing to say because the issue does not fall under its jurisdiction. "We would have to investigate the matter to take a stand and that is beyond our jurisdiction."

Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina had called on the MFA to remove Dr Mifsud during a radio show aired on Radio Malta, commenting that the way he had handled the matter was unacceptable.

The issue had made the headlines after the CEO of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, Joe Gerada, decided to go public with the fact that the MFA had kept a convicted paedophile employed as a groundsman at the Pace Grasso Ground, in Paola, even after being informed of the matter.

Besides being used for the MFA's activities, the ground, which is government property, was also made available to the students from the nearby Guzè D'Amato School as their playground. The MFA only terminated the groundsman's employment at the end of the football season, after Mr Gerada made the matter public and four months after the man was found guilty of defiling a 13-year-old boy in December 2003.

The association had reacted to Mr Gerada's decision to go public with a terse statement calling his actions "cheap propaganda". In the same statement the association said it would be closing the ground to the school children.

The situation at the ground has been resolved, according to the Education Ministry, with the children having been given access again.

A week after Mrs Cristina had called for Dr Mifsud's removal, Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo, who is also president of the Sliema football club, said he would be calling for a vote of no confidence in the MFA's board.

Contacted yesterday, he said he would be raising the issue at the annual general meeting, which will be held after the World Cup. Asked to comment on UEFA's stand, Mr Arrigo said he was surprised.

In its most recent statement, released after the access to the ground was sorted out, the MFA said the association had learned, only as recently as May 9, that the groundsman had not gone to open or close the ground "for months" and that the authorities of the school had access to the ground, concluding that the "so-called danger" was "much ado about nothing".