Anti-corruption task force starts internal debate on harsher match-fixing laws

A task force set up by the Malta Football Association has started internal debate on a proposed bill to clamp down on corruption and match-fixing in the sport.

The anti-corruption task force – which includes government, Opposition, police and Malta Gaming Authority representatives – was set up in 2015 to draft a bill to replace current match-fixing laws which date back to 1976. Following months of consultation, the task force has now started debating the proposed bill that will eventually be presented to government to table in Parliament.

The bill will impose harsher sanctions on match-fixing and facilitate the prosecution of sport corruption.

The MFA said in a statement that representatives on the task force exchanged views on the proposed bill with Attorney General Peter Grech, whose office drafted the legislation on the basis of an earlier report prepared by the task force itself.

“With both government and the opposition represented in this Task Force, together with other key players such as the Police, the Malta Gaming Authority, and SportMalta, the forum provides a platform for a concerted approach aimed at stepping up the fight against bribery in sport on a national scale,” the MFA said.

Birkirkara FC president Adrian Delia said last month that Malta is statistically one of the five most corrupt countries in football.