Regulator from Malta Sentenced for Disclosing Confidential Details to Possible Accused in Killing of Journalist.
The previous gaming regulator of Malta, Heathcliffe Farrugia, was adjudged guilty of leaking confidential details to Yorgen Fenech, an alleged organizer of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's car-bomb assassination.
Last Tuesday, Farrugia received a conditional discharge sentence, which spares him from prison as long as he doesn't break the law within the next three years. He was convicted of disclosing secret information to Fenech, who is currently being tried for murder.
Farrugia was discovered to have given Fenech information about competing casino operators as well as details of an anti-money laundering inquiry regarding Fenech's Portomaso Casino. Prior to his arrest, Fenech used to be the head of Malta's biggest land-based casino operator, the Tumas Group.
Incriminating Instruction:
Farrugia functioned as the CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority, which is responsible for overseeing the gaming sector in the Mediterranean isle country, a major hub of online gaming worldwide. However, he resigned in October 2022 after authorities discovered potentially incriminating conversation logs on Fenech's phone during their investigation into Caruana Galizia's death.
Farrugia insisted he merely tried to "console" Fenech, who was upset over the anti-money laundering inquiry and thought it was harming the Tumas Gaming brand. The then-chief regulator assured Fenech that the review on Tumas wasn't public yet and he would try to postpone its disclosure.
During this conversation, Farrugia accidentally mentioned that Casino Malta, owned by a rival operator, was also being investigated.
The Times of Malta speculated that the authorities initially concealed the charges against Farrugia to shield Malta's gaming industry's reputation.
Murder Scandal:
Caruana Galizia was assassinated in 2017, possibly due to her investigation into a government contract for a power station that she believed had been corruptly awarded to Fenech's company in 2014.
Fenech was detained as he allegedly attempted to escape Malta on his yacht around midnight on November 20, 2019.
The brothers Alfred Degiorgio and George Degiorgio were each sentenced to 40 years in prison for planning and executing the assassination, along with their accomplice Vince Muscat, who got 15 years.
A supposed intermediary, Melvin Theuma, was pardoned for testifying against the others and naming Fenech as the mastermind.
Fenech claims his relationship with the highest levels of the Maltese government resulted in the collapse of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's administration. The casino investor continues to deny his involvement and accuses three members of Muscat's administration of plotting the murder.
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Source: www.casino.org
