Malta Courts tossed an appeal against the sentencing of an ex-Malta Gaming Authority CEO for tipping off a Caruana Galizia murder suspect. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Murder suspect link

Malta’s Court of Criminal Appeal has upheld the conviction and sentencing of the ex-CEO of the Malta Gaming Association (MGA) connected to Yorgen Fenech, the man awaiting trial for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

head’s-up on an anti-money laundering review

On Tuesday, Justice Neville Camilleri ruled in favor of the May sentencing of former MGA boss Heathcliffe Farrugia for giving Fenech the head’s-up on an anti-money laundering review the MGA was going to subject a rival casino to in 2019.

Earlier this year, Magistrate Ian Farrugia had found the ex-MGA CEO guilty of illegally disclosing information obtained by virtue of his role and sharing professional secrets, for which the magistrate sentenced Farrugia to “a three-year conditional discharge.”

Implicated by chats

The former head of Malta’s gaming authority resigned his post in October 2020 after he was charged over his communications with Fenech, the former head of the Tumas Group, which operates Portomaso Casino on the Saint Julian’s coast.

Maltese investigative journalist Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October 2017 after she leveled a series of corruption claims against powerful figures. One of the final words the 53-year-old wrote before her murder was: “Do your worst, you bastards, until the only option left to you is to take out a contract on my life.”

Investigators rumbled Farrugia after he was implicated via an analysis of the murder suspect’s mobile phone.

The criminal chats were found after Fenech’s phone was seized by police investigators in December 2019 during his arrest in connection with Caruana Galizia’s murder.

In possession of Fenech’s mobile, investigators perused 24 pages of texts between him and the MGA CEO. The chats revealed Fenech had told Farrugia of his disappointment with the result of an AML compliance review into his Tumas Gaming Group, which also operates Oracle Casino, in addition to Portomaso.

Favors and tip offs

Fenech’s beef with Farrugia was that the MGA review gave Tumas a bad reputation. In an effort to assuage the ex-casino and property kingpin, the MGA exec promised, according to Malta Today, to delay the release of the compliance report.

AML inspection was going to hit Casino Malta

Farrugia also tipped Fenech off that an MGA AML inspection was going to hit Casino Malta, which is owned by Eden Leisure Group, a rival to the murder suspect’s corporate group.  

On Tuesday, however, Judge Camilleri tossed the appeal, ruling that the court of first instance’s conclusions in May were justified.