The former Chief Technology Officer of the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) Jason Farrugia and his wife Christine Farrugia have been charged with money laundering, bribery, fraud and influence peddling.
Both pleaded not guilty to all charges but were denied bail.
According to a statement from MGA: “The MGA would like to clarify that the employment relationship with Mr. Farrugia was terminated in December 2021 following an internal investigation initiated by the MGA into alleged wrongdoings by the same individual. The former official worked for the Authority until December 2020. Suspicions of data misuse led to his suspension while police began an investigation.”
The statement continued, “The results of these investigations were passed on to the relevant Authorities and the MGA has been, and remains, at their disposal and providing all required assistance. In the meantime, the MGA continues to take all the necessary steps to ensure the integrity of its data.”
Malta, which is a gaming hub for European groups such as Betsson and the Kindred Group, was sanctioned on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist after the island nation was accused of having limited oversight of money laundering. It also allows offshore companies to base there and illegally attract residents of EU nations to gamble on their websites. Gaming accounts for 12 percent of its economy.
FATF is operated by the EU and G7 as their anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist fundraising organization. The government has petitioned to be removed from the greylist after implementing protocols to monitor cash transactions and track businesses finances more closely.
