Nationalist MP Jean-Pierre Farrugia yesterday clarified comments he made in Parliament last Wednesday on the possibility of local football clubs generating extra income from illegal gambling, following objections raised by Valletta FC president Victor Sciriha.
Dr Farrugia had said in Parliament it was impossible for clubs to fork out thousands of euros a year without additional income from other sources, adding that the extra revenue could originate from illegal gambling.
In a statement yesterday, Dr Farrugia said that during the debate on amendments to the Gaming Act, he had referred extensively to Italian football’s current betting scandal.
He said he had argued that incentivising legal betting in local football would provide audit trails that could trigger anti-fraud investigations if necessary, as was the case in Italy.
Dr Farrugia said it was inevitable that during the debate he would refer to the allegations that some Malta players took bribes in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Norway.
However, the first district MP pointed out that in Parliament he not only commended football club presidents for their management skills and financial support, but also congratulated Valletta FC and Floriana FC – two clubs based within his constituency – for winning the main honours this year.
Nevertheless, Dr Farrugia said the recent trading of bribery allegations between the presidents of Floriana FC and Valletta FC following last month’s FA Trophy Final spoke volumes about the suspicions of corruption in the local game.
“As a first district MP my constituents deserve the assurance that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done. As a Juventus supporter I know the feeling of having wasted so much time watching my team win only to find out later it was all surreal. As a father my main concern is that innocent youths are not corrupted,” Dr Farrugia said.
In response to Dr Farrugia’s intervention in Parliament, The Times last Friday reported Mr Sciriha said he could not accept Dr Farrugia making a statement that the presidents of Premier League clubs were making money through betting.
The Valletta FC president had urged Dr Farrugia to hand over any evidence in his possession to the Malta Football Association and the Police Commissioner.