Malta Gaming Authority: former CEO loses appeal against convictions
Heathcliff Farrugia has lost his appeal against convictions for leaking information on an AML inspection.
Malta.- Heathcliff Farrugia, the former CEO of the Malta Gaming Authority, has lost his appeal against his May conviction on charges of leaking secret regulatory information. Malta’s Magistrates Court had convicted Farrugia on three charges related to leaked details about a planned AML inspection at Casino Malta to Yorgen Fenech, the CEO of the rival operator Tumas Gaming.
The incident came to light after Fenech was allegedly linked to the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Messages between Fenech and Farrugia going back to September 2019 were found when Fenech was arrested. Farrugia had also told Fenech that he would try to slow down a report on a compliance inspection on Tumas Gaming. Farrugia was given a conditional discharge and ordered to cover legal costs.
In his June appeal, Farrugia claimed that Maltese law had no legal definition of a “secret” and no evidence that he knew an inspection was planned. He also attempted to defend his communications with Fenech, arguing that he was merely trying to calm him down and that there was no malicious intent in his messages.
He also said that as CEO of the MGA, he “felt the need to reach a balance between being the regulator and remaining close with operators”.
Carl Brincat replaced Farrugia as CEO of the MGA in January 2021. The regulator’s current CEO is Charles Mizzi, who took up the role on January 26 2023.
