The Marsaxlokk Football Club has filed an official letter against a police officer for allegedly attempting to influence the admission of a person charged with bribery.
The club accused Police Inspector Angelo Gafa of unethical and irresponsible behaviour in the football corruption investigations.
Allegedly, the inspector mentioned individual magistrates by name in an attempt to influence the admission of one of the two people charged with bribery, the club said.
Insp. Gafa had investigated and arraigned two people over football corruption charges and both cases had been decided upon. In July, the Board to Investigate Corrupt Practices began to investigate the match-fixing case involving Premier League club Marsaxlokk.
The club said that on several occasions it requested Insp. Gafa to appear before the investigating board of the Malta Football Association, which is carrying out a separate inquiry but he never turned up.
The MFA had launched an inquiry after Marsaxlokk's assistant coach Peter Hartshorne and midfielder Claude Mattocks were handed suspended jail terms and fined €500 each. The two had pleaded guilty to offering a bribe to former Msida St Joseph goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri.
The letter, filed in the First Hall of the Civil Court, referred to Mr Hartshorne’s testimony before the MFA board where Insp. Gafa had allegedly told him to plead guilty before a particular magistrate to get a lighter sentence.
Insp. Gafa had suggested that if Mr Hartshorne’s pleaded guilty before Magistrate Antonio Mizzi, he would get off with a suspended sentence but risked a prison sentence if he admitted before Magistrate Silvio Meli, the club said in a letter, which it also sent to the Police Commissioner.
It also referred to the testimony of Valletta FC president Victor Scriha who in August claimed that Insp. Gafa had gone to Geneva to watch the UEFA championship league lots drawing ceremony. Mr Scriha said Insp. Gafa went to Switzerland with a delegation of the Sliema Wanderers FC.
Mr Scirha also said that Insp. Gafa got accreditation from the Birkirkara FC to visit the UEFA building and spent time with members of Hibernians, Valletta, Sliema and Birkirkara football clubs during his visit, the letter said.
This was unethical and irresponsible, the club said adding that Insp. Gafa’s behaviour needed to be clarified and explained.
It held him responsible for damages sustained by the club through his alleged irresponsible and unethical behaviour.