The former chief technology officer of the Malta Gaming Authority, 34-year-old Jason Farrugia, appeared before court this week, where he pleaded not guilty to charges that include money laundering, extortion, bribery and fraud.
Farrugia appeared in court together with his wife, 26-year-old Christine, who was also charged with money laundering. Both requested bail but were denied.
Farrugia had been employed by the MGA for nearly a decade, first as its Licensee Relationship Executive and later on as Systems Monitoring Executive and Information Systems Manager. Before becoming Chief Technology Manager, he served as Information Systems Manager.
Last year, the authority terminated Farrugia’s employment after it initiated an investigation into “alleged wrongdoings”. The MGA then informed the police and matters were taken further, not before announcing that the CTO had no further connection to the authority and that he no longer represented it or spoke on its behalf.
According to a recent statement made by the MGA:
“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.”