Amnesty for Julian Briffa recommended

MFAThe Council of the Malta Football Association backed a recommendation by the Executive Committee for Julian Briffa, who is currently serving a life ban over match-fixing.

The amnesty is being recommended on the grounds that he had provided useful information that led to the conviction of other cases of match-fixing.

Briffa was handed a lifetime ban in March after being found guilty of trying to corrupt a player before the Premier League match between Sliema Wanderers and Hamrun Spartans played on February 11, 2012.

The amnesty has to be approved by the Annual General Meeting on Saturday.

During the same Council meeting, it was revealed that the games at the centre of the match-fixing investigation which led to the provisional suspension of three former Hamrun Spartans players – Massimo Grima, Roderick Fenech and Gianluca Calabretta – and two former Hamrun Spartans club officials – Elton Borg and Julian Friggieri – were the games against Hibernians played on January 19 (1-6), against Valletta played on January 26 (0-6), against Sliema Wanderers played on February 2 (0-2) and against Birkirkara played on February 13 (0-3).

The three players, the two officials and the club have been charged.

The Board to Adjudicate Charges Relating to Bribery & Illegal Betting in Football has been given a particular time-frame by the association so that decisions will be taken by the end of next month and therefore, well before the start of the BOV First Division League which is due to kick-off on September 13.

Meanwhile during the same Council meeting, final amendments to the Regulations of Bribery and Betting Regarding Football Matches – dealing with whistleblowers – were approved.