David Agius suspended after losing cool in basketball match

Updated Tuesday 3 May, 10:25am with David Agius's comments.

The Sunday Times reports that a disciplinary board found Agius in breach of the association’s disciplinary code, and was subsequently suspended from all MBA activities, including matches of the club which he is president of; the Siggiewi basketball club.

The incident took place last week during a match between Siggiewi and Athleta basketball association, where Siggiewi won 142-138.

Agius was elected as president in March, after a change in the statute allowed parliamentarians to occupy such a post.

Witnesses said they heard Agius telling referees in Maltese “If you’re not capable (of refereeing), don’t come here”. One of the three referees said he wanted to stop the match, but couldn’t, however, unless Agius repeated the abuse.

Following a letter of complaint sent to the MBA by general secretary of the Athleta Basketball Association David Schembri, disciplinary action was taken against Agius. Schembri claimed that Agius’s insults affected the judgment of the game officials during the rest of the match.

What Agius had done was “highly unethical, improper and against the spirit of the game. It is even more worrisome that (Agius) followed the game officials and continued to insult (them) on their way to the changing rooms at the half-time interval, at which point he implied that they were not fit to officiate the game and also implied that when the proper officials officiate the games which Siggiewi take part in, Siggiewi always win.”

Contacted by the Sunday Times, Agius said he was considering appealing against the decision which, he said, was the “least (serious) charge.”

David Agius said in a statement that he admitted to the board to having passed "general remarks" at the match official, but not having passed vulgar comments. "These were not even accusations I was charged with. The decision cites a punishment and does not clearly indicate any guilt on my part," the MP said.

Agius said that he had apologised and decided he would not appeal the decision.