Gianluca Calabretta is free to resume his football career after the MFA lifted his temporary suspension.

The Malta FA Executive Committee has withdrawn the charges it had instituted against former Ħamrun Spartans player Gianluca Calabretta following a recommendation by the association’s prosecuting officer leading the investigation into claims that a number of Premier League matches involving the former Malta champions last season were rigged.

Calabretta, the grandson of the late Victor Tedesco, the most successful president in the history of Ħamrun Spartans FC, had been handed a provisional ban from all football activities along with former team-mates Roderick Fenech and Massimo Grima.

Two former members of the Ħamrun Spartans committee, Elton Borg and Julian Friggieri, were also suspended indefinitely while charges were also filed against the club.

The investigations have taken a new twist in the last two weeks, prompting Adrian Camilleri, the Malta FA prosecuting officer, to not only lift Calabretta’s suspension but also withdraw all the accusations against the 25-year-old winger.

“The MFA prosecutor will issue a conditional exemption order from any action that might have been taken against the player Gianluca Calabretta in this case as he has fully co-operated with the prosecutor in the investigations,” the MFA said in a statement.

“The prosecutor has also withdrawn the charges that were initially filed against Gianluca Cala-bretta and recommended the lifting of the temporary suspension that was imposed on the player as, from further investigations, it appeared that the player was not involved in these attempts.

“Therefore, Gianluca Cala-bretta, who in this case was assisted by lawyer Jason Azzo-pardi, can, with immediate effect, take a full part in all footballing activities.”

Calabretta was overjoyed by the Malta FA’s decision.

“Obviously, I’m very happy,” he told Times of Malta.

“This has been a very difficult time for me and I’m relieved that the situation has been cleared.”

Although the MFA’s initial decision to suspend him came as a shock, Calabretta said he was confident that the truth would come out sooner or later.

“I didn’t expect them (MFA) to take disciplinary action against me but I was aware of the investigations,” Calabretta said.

“It was the MFA’s decision and I have no comments to make about that but I always believed that justice would prevail.

“I had faith that the MFA would do their job properly.”

Calabretta is now eager to put this ordeal behind him and focus on getting his career back on track with Balzan, his new club.

“I hope to concentrate on football now,” Calabretta said.

“I want to stay with Balzan and I take the opportunity to thank George Borg, the Balzan committee and coach (Riccardo Tumiatti) for their support.

“I’m also grateful to my lawyer Jason Azzopardi because he helped me a lot.”

Asked if he was sad that Ħamrun Spartans’ reputation has been tarnished by these match-fixing accusations, Calabretta replied: “I feel sorry for the club and the supporters.”

Probe widens

Last month, Norman Darmanin Demajo, the Malta FA president, revealed that the association was probing Ħamrun’s defeats to Hibernians (1-6), Valletta (0-6), Sliema (0-2) and Birkirkara (0-3) with all four matches having been played in the January-February period.

Calabretta, who had immediately lodged an appeal against his provisional suspension, was not part of the Ħamrun Spartans squad for three of the four contentious games as he had left to join Tarxien Rainbows in the final week of January.

The Malta FA’s probe has widened in recent weeks as investigators have reportedly identified more attempts to rig matches involving Ħamrun Spartans last season.

At its last meeting on Tuesday, the Malta FA Exco decided to press further charges against Borg and Friggieri, the two former Ħamrun officials, over their “involvement in an attempt to bribe players with the intention to influence or change in an anti-sporting manner the natural course or result of football games in the 2012/13 domestic season”.

As Borg and Friggieri served on the Ħamrun committee last season, further charges were also issued against the Spartans who were relegated from the Premier League last May.

The Malta FA Exco has also brought a further charge against Fenech, the former Spartans captain.

“There will be a further charge against player Roderick Fenech as, during the investigations, it has resulted that he was aware of a direct bribery attempt but failed to report it to the MFA according to its regulations,” the MFA statement said.

Last April, Gaetan Spiteri, Jermain Brincat and Chris Brincat were handed life bans for match-fixing.

Julian Briffa had also been banned for life but his punishment has been cut to one year after the former Floriana and Mqabba defender was granted a partial amnesty by the Malta FA under the Whistleblower Act.