Justice Commission finds Lino Farrugia Sacco ‘guilty of misbehaviour’

An investigation by the Commission for the Administration of Justice (CAJ) has found Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco prima facie guilty over the way he behaved himself as president of the Malta Olympics Committee (MOC), Torca has claimed.

Sunday newspaper Illum reported the decision taken by the commission against Farrugia Sacco as well.

The CAJ have been investigating Farrugia Sacco's behaviour during a meeting with two undercover reporters who proposed a way to get around Olympics ticket resale rules.

The case, which emerged in The Sunday Times of London, saw the reporters offer €60,000 for rights to sell the Malta Olympic Committee's tickets for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics games. Farrugia Sacco and MOC general secretary Joe Cassar were covertly recorded by the reporters - who were posing as envoys of a Middle Eastern ticket tout - explaining how high-mark ups could be "camouflaged" through "subtle" marketing techniques.

However, Torca is claiming that in a decision reached last Friday, the CAJ found Farrugia Sacco prima facie guilty of misbehavior by not resigning from his post as president, despite being warned by the Commission to resign.

"It seems that the CAJ's decision did not have anything to do with the controversy surrounding the resale of the Olympic tickets but, notwithstanding Farrugia Sacco's alleged role, the Commission found the former president of the Malta Olympic Committee guilty of misbehaviour after he refused to resign from his post," the Sunday newspaper said.

Following the report in The Sunday Times of London, then-Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had initiated an impeachment motion back in June 2012. However, despite the CAJ advising Farrugia Sacco to resign from his post as president of the MOC, the judge did not resign.

Farrugia Sacco did not contest re-election.

"At the time of the controversy, then-Opposition leader Joseph Muscat had pledged that a Labour government would respect the CAJ's decision."

Upon being formally announced, the judiciary watchdog's final decision can be communicated to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who will read the decision in parliament.