The Norway vs Malta match-fixing scandal is set to come under the spotlight again on November 29 when UEFA will hear the appeals lodged by its disciplinary inspector as well as that filed by former Malta mid-fielder Kevin Sammut against his 10-year international ban.
In August, the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body suspended Sammut for 10 years after finding him guilty of match-fixing in Malta’s Euro 2008 away qualifier against Norway. The match ended 4-0 for Norway who struck three goals in the last 18 minutes.
In its original ruling, UEFA acquitted former Malta defenders Kenneth Scicluna and Stephen Wellman because the evidence against them was “insufficient to take any disciplinary action” but the disciplinary inspector is also appealing that decision.
Scicluna is currently playing for Division One side Marsaxlokk while Wellman is still on the books of Qormi but has not featured for the Premier League club since August.
Having demanded a lifetime ban for Sammut, UEFA’s disciplinary inspector is contesting the control and disciplinary body’s ruling to impose a 10-year suspension on Sammut, a former MFA footballer of the year.
Sammut has always denied any wrongdoing. He is hoping that the members of UEFA’s Appeals Body overturn the lengthy suspension handed to him when they convene in Nyon late this month.
Sammut’s defence team have been very critical of the pro-cedures followed by UEFA during the disciplinary hearing, also claiming their client had been denied a fair trial.
FIFPro, the world players’ union, also expressed its concern about the process which led to Sammut’s suspension.
UEFA confirmed in September that appeals had been filed against its original ruling.
“We confirm that the UEFA disciplinary inspector and the player Kevin Sammut have lodged an appeal against the first decision,” UEFA said in a statement.
Allegations that Malta players had accepted bribes to throw their Euro 2008 qualifier against Norway came to light in May last year during the trial of a Croatian betting ringleader – Marijo Cvrtak.
Cvrtak, who had first mentioned the Norway-Malta case during questioning by the Bochum police, told the court that he had met the Malta players at an Oslo hotel before the game.
The Malta FA carried out a thorough investigation into Cvrtak’s claims before submitting its findings to UEFA who pro-ceeded with the case as the match in question was a Euro Cham-pionship qualifier.
Recently, the MFA Executive Committee issued provisional bans against four players over match-fixing claims as the local governing body of football intensified its fight against cor-ruption.
The matches under investi-gation are last season’s Premier League fixture between Ħamrun Spartans and Sliema Wanderers (1-1), which took place on Feb-ruary 10, and this season’s Division One encounter between Gżira United and Naxxar Lions (2-2) which was played on Sep-tember 28.