Damaged-down MGA CEO loses charm in AML inspection leak case

The customary case alive to ex-MGA CEO Farrugia leaking data on an upcoming AML inspection at Casino Malta to its rival substitute Tumas Gaming’s CEO Yorgen Fenech.

Fenech is speculated to were mad about the raze of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Police realized messages between Fenech and Farrugia at some stage in Fenech’s arrest.

In that conversation, which dates back to September 2019, the MGA CEO mentioned the Casino Malta inspection. He also told Fenech he would are attempting to slack down a sage on a recent compliance inspection on Tumas Gaming.

Farrugia changed into as soon as realized guilty of three out of 4 costs and handed a conditional discharge to forestall him from reoffending. He changed into as soon as ordered to conceal the costs of courtroom knowledgeable Keith Cutajar.

Segment of the conviction connected to Farrugia revealing “a secret that changed into as soon as entrusted to him”.

What did Farrugia charm?

In his charm, dated 12 June 2024, Farrugia argued there changed into as soon as no such definition of what changed into as soon as considered as a ‘secret’ by Maltese rules.

Court paperwork from the charm demonstrate Farrugia defended his conversation with Fenech. Farrugia insisted he changed into as soon as making an are attempting to soundless the on line casino proprietor down.

Farrugia acknowledged he changed into as soon as alive to a prospective magnificent for compliance failings might well be extinct in opposition to him as political ammunition.

He also argued there changed into as soon as no “malicious intent” in his conversation with Fenech. He, as CEO for the regulator MGA, “felt the deserve to attain a balance between being the regulator and closing end with operators”.

In the demolish, Farrugia insisted there changed into as soon as no formal proof that he even knew the inspection would happen, or that Fenech wasn’t already aware of the on line casino inspection.

Farrugia stepped into the characteristic of MGA CEO in April 2018, succeeding Joseph Cuschieri.