Signed documents for a TV rights contract worth $250,000, which is at the centre of libel proceedings, were taken from the Malta Football Association and never returned by its former president Joe Mifsud.

The contract between the MFA and CWL covered TV rights for the controversial Malta-Bayern Munich football match 12 years ago.

The evidence emerged in court yesterday as MFA accountant Ivan Mizzi testified in libel proceedings Dr Mifsud started against his successor, Norman Darmanin Demajo, and the newspaper Illum.

The case goes back to 2008 when Mr Darmanin Demajo wrote to the MFA asking it to investigate allegations of financial wrongdoing.

Mr Mizzi said that, in June 2010, two months before Dr Mifsud’s presidency ended, the former MFA president had asked him for the contract.

The witness said he informed two senior MFA officials of the request and handed Dr Mifsud the document.

“I did not ask why he needed it but he never returned it,” Mr Mizzi said.

The accountant confirmed he had never seen the original agreement with CWL but only a copy that was certified to be true by Dr Mifsud. It was this copy that was handed to Dr Mifsud.

Mr Mizzi noted that the contract only carried Dr Mifsud’s signature, in breach of the MFA’s statute, which demanded at least two signatures. He acknowledged there were a handful of other contracts that carried one signature.

Mr Mizzi explained that in October 2000, four months after the contract was signed, Dr Mifsud handed him a handwritten letter asking CWL to pay $250,000 in TV rights for the Bayern Munich game.

“I typed out the letter and sent CWL a fax requesting the amount. The letter referred to the contract signed in June,” Mr Mizzi said, adding he only saw a copy of the agreement after the money owed to the MFA had been transferred to its bank account.

He acknowledged this was not normal practice because invoices were issued on the basis of contracts shortly after these were deposited with his office.

“I did not ask for explanations as to why Dr Mifsud handed me a hand-written letter and not the contract. I just followed his instructions,” Mr Mizzi said.

At the time of the Bayern Munich game, the German and British press alleged that the match was part of a cash offer made by the German World Cup organising committee to FIFA executive members.

Dr Mifsud was a member on the FIFA executive that awarded the 2006 World Cup to Germany in the summer of 2000. The process was mired in controversy after Germany won the bid by only one vote.

Malta was mentioned as one of the countries that received cash in the form of a TV rights contract.

Mr Mizzi was also asked about a second TV rights contract for the international friendly game between Malta and England in June 2000. The game had been screened live on Sky Sports but Mr Mizzi said he never saw a TV rights contract for transmission on the satellite channel.

Mr Mizzi said he had never suspected any wrongdoing on Dr Mifsud’s part when cross-examined by the former MFA president.

The case is expected to continue in April.

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