Police inspector rebuts football club charges

Police Inspector Angelo Gafà yesterday accused Marsaxlokk Football Club of making "baseless allegations which attacked him personally".

Mr Gafà said he had received two requests from the Malta Football Association to be present at a Board of Allegations of Bribery in Football hearing but his superiors did not allow him to attend.

The MFA had launched an inquiry after Marsaxlokk assistant coach Peter Hartshorne and midfielder Claude Mattocks admitted to bribery and were handed suspended jail terms and fined €500 each.

In a judicial letter, the club referred to Mr Hartshorne's testimony before the board when he said that Mr Gafà had told him to plead guilty before a particular magistrate in order to get a lighter sentence.

Mr Gafà rebutted the allegation, insisting, in a judicial letter, that he was doing his job as a policeman to investigate the two cases of bribery. He said that, through the judicial letter it had filed against him, the football club tried to discredit him in front of the board.

He added that the accused could have made any allegations against him during the proceedings when they had pleaded guilty but they had failed to do so.

The officer said he had acted completely in line with the law when investigating the two cases and denied having ever threatened or forced anyone to plead guilty in front of one magistrate or another.

Mr Gafà said that, in trying to defend its position, the club had attacked his integrity and professionalism and by resorting to baseless facts it had stooped very low.

Lawyers Emmanuel Mallia, Alex Perici Calascione and Arthur Azzopardi signed the letter.