MFA president in hot water for smoking

The health authorities said they will take action against the president of the Malta Football Association for smoking during a news conference inside a closed room within the Centenary Stadium at Ta' Qali yesterday.

The law clearly bans smoking inside premises open to the public or a workspace unless there is a designated smoking room. Yet, Joe Mifsud smoked repeatedly during the news conference that lasted over an hour.

When asked by a reporter if he could see the irony of smoking during a news conference on sport in a place where the law had outlawed smoking, Dr Mifsud insisted the room was a private place: "This is our home and when we invite you to our home, you should not make such comments... You are our guest".

He pointed out to the reporter that he could throw her out of the room if he so wished, adding he had no wish to do so when she offered to leave.

Dr Mifsud said it was well known that he was a smoker and enquired whether he was being asked such questions merely because he had criticised an editorial in The Times.

He said the MFA had invested a million liri to build the premises and no one had contributed a penny to it. "Not even The Times."

The health inspection manager at the Department of Public, Health, John Attard Kingswell, said when contacted yesterday that smoking could not take place indoors in any place open to the public. The legal notice, he said, only exempted hotel rooms. One could not even smoke in offices, he said.

Mr Attard Kingswell said media representatives were considered by law as members of the public and he would take action once he received a report about the incident.