Temporary ban on Xewkija Tigers player lifted

The Malta Football Association announced that following investigations by the Office of the MFA Prosecutor and following a report by the same prosecutor, Xewkija Tigers FC player Peter Buttigieg will not be charged for alleged involvement in the attempt of match-fixing of the Gozo FA First Divisin match between Nadur Youngsters FC and Xewkija Tigers FC on February 7th.

Therefore the MFA lifted the temporary suspension it had imposed on the Xewkija player.

The association said that in order to allow justice to take its course unhindered, no MFA official or employee will be making any further comments on the issue until the process was concluded.

On February 8, the then Nadur Youngsters secretary Anthony Portelli and George Sultana were handed a four-month jail term suspended for two years and fined €1,165 after admitting to attempting to bribe two players before the top-of-the-table clash between Xewkija Tigers and Nadur Youngsters the day before.

Portelli and Sultana admitted in court to attempting to bribe two Xewkija players in an attempt to influence the outcome of a match. They have reportedly agreed to meet two players at a particular place on the eve of the game, only for the police to turn up instead. The accused were then arrested by police and arraigned on Sunday afternoon.