Ex-Malta Gaming Authority CTO appears in court over alleged "wrongdoing"
Former exec in the dock under charges of money laundering, extortion and accepting bribes
Jason Farrugia, former senior Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) official, has been charged with money laundering pertaining to the work he undertook in his former role. Both he and his wife took to the stand and pleaded not guilty, having been charged with a number of offences which included extortion, accepting bribes, fraud, misappropriation, disclosing confidential information, trading in influence and computer misuse. Farrugia’s employment with the MGA ended last year, with the regulatory body stating that he resigned in December following a suspicion that he was leaking information. In fact, the MGA had previously announced in December 2021 that Farrugia “no longer has any connection to the MGA”. The gaming authority added: “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.” It is reported that police investigations against Farrugia had been ongoing for six months up until that point. Bail has been denied as the investigation continues. In March 2021, former CEO Heathcliff Farrugia, no relation, faced criminal charges for allegedly trading in influence with the main suspect in a murder investigation.