During a meeting which was held on Thursday, the MFA Executive Committee unanimously agreed to set-up an Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts’ Task-Force so to develop a comprehensive approach to combat match-fixing in sport.

The Task-Force should raise awareness, engage opinion makers, political parties, government and institutions and make proposals and propositions with respect to sporting values as integrity, fair-play and respect for others. The Task-Force shall be open for anti-corruption experts and law enforcement officials and should focus primarily in the prevention, detection and punishment of illegal sports betting operations.

“Corruption is a major obstacle to social and economic development. The Malta FA acknowledges the threat that corruption poses to good governance and the development of the game of football in Malta, hence the initiative of setting up an experts’ Task-Force should develop a coordinated approach against match-fixing and organised crime by coordinating the efforts of the main stake-holders, such as the Malta FA, national police, judicial authorities and the gaming authority, in this area and by providing a platform for discussion and for the exchange of information and best practice.”

“Transparency, accountability and democracy in sports organisations are prerequisites for the sports movement to play any kind of successful role in fighting match-fixing and sports fraud,” concludes the statement by the Malta Football Association.