Nice going, Lino

Published: December 7, 2012 at 10:16am

www.independent.com.mt has just reported:

MALTA RISKS OLYMPIC BAN
by Duncan Barry

Malta risks being banned from taking part in the Olympic Games if the Maltese Olympic Committee does not take any action against its president and general secretary following a report naming them in an Olympic ticket investigation.

MOC president Lino Farrugia Sacco and secretary general Joe Cassar were mentioned by the International Olympic Committee’s Ethics Commission among other top Olympic officials who “tarnished the reputation” of the Olympic movement.

The report follows a British newspaper’s sting operation earlier this year alleging the officials were involved in meetings on the supply of Olympic Games tickets to the black market. The other officials are from Greece, Lithuania and Serbia.

The International Olympic Committee has recommended that the MOC takes disciplinary action against the two officials. If no action is taken this could have dire consequences, including the possibility that Malta could be “banned from the Olympic Games”, sources told The Malta Independent online.

The sources said that Malta could also face being banned from participating in the Mediterranean Games and the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), since the two fall under the IOC umbrella.

The IOC has called for the four national Olympic committees to take “appropriate measures” against their officials or face further action, such as withdrawing accreditation for Olympic meetings and events. This is due to the fact that the IOC ethics rules allow it to directly sanction National Olympic Committees but not individuals.




25 Comments Comment

  1. voter says:

    What a shame! what a shame! what a shame. Judges and Magistrates doing all their possible to shame Malta internationally. What a shame. I think it is time to change the ridiculous law of impeachment.

  2. ciccio says:

    I agree with the IOC.

    Malta should be banned from the Olympic Games unless this sleaze is cleared immediately.

    Can we get OLAF involved in this matter? What was it, “unambiguous circumstancial evidence”?

  3. xmun says:

    on a totally different subject, but this is the only place I comment on

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121207/local/-Are-they-just-going-to-demolish-our-homes-.448568

    Quite a lot of comments, but no one (except for an M Vella) seem to realise that all this happened in 1985, when the only law that existed was the law of the jungle, when Lorry Sant and his merry men ruled the land.

  4. Alex says:

    I am sure the klikka tal-hazen will also get the blame for this, you wait and see.

  5. JPS says:

    Do you really think that the MOC will take action against its President and Secretary General if they form part of the same committee? Wishful thinking….

    They will now lie low and avoid any communication about the matter.

    Unfortunately this is how issues are handled here in Malta. Go through the recent issues and gauge for yourself.

    At the moment these two individuals are just waiting for the next headline to take the spotlight off them. And they are lucky, since by Monday we will have the budget vote.

    Then it’s history…

    • A.Attard says:

      What about the athletes?

    • xmun says:

      The spotlight will be taken off the locally, the International Olympic Committee will still be watching and if no action is taken, Malta will be banned from participating. It has been stated quite clearly.

    • observer says:

      I foresee that the MOC president will appoint a board of inquiry – chaired by himself, with MOC secretary as the board’s secretary – and delve into the ‘sleaze’ allegations raised by the IOC. That’s the way it should be done, shouldn’t it.

    • ciccio says:

      I have a better solution.

      Action should be taken quickly in the courts.

      The Secretary General should be arraigned in front of Judge Farrugia Sacco, and acquitted.

      Then Farrugia Sacco should be charged in front of Consuelo Scerri Herrera. It may be a good idea if he pretends to play with the rosaries during the hearings. He will be acquitted also.

      They all live happily ever after. Under a Labour government led by Joseph Muscat who appoints Consuelo as a Judge of the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and if Dalli gets his Sargas powerstation, Farrugia Sacco may be appointed to the Court of Human Rights in Luxembourg (!).

  6. etil says:

    Anyone knows whether the budget vote is to be taken in the morning or at the usual parliamentary session starting at 18.30 hours – after Dr. Gonzi replies to Dr. Muscat’s criticism (for want of a better word as although Dr. Muscat criticised the budget, he is in favour of it – hawwadni ha nifhem) of the budget last Wednesday.

  7. QahbuMalti says:

    Now let’s see the PN push the MLP on their ZERO tolerance on corruption. They should move the impeachment – unfortunately they have run out of parliament time.

  8. PWG says:

    In a comment to a previous blog-post, some one took Daphne to task for referring to Judge Farrugia Sacco as a total Laburist.

    I knew nothing about Judge Farrugia Sacco’s political leanings before it was pointed out to me that L-Orizzont was the only daily newspaper to fail to report the scandal, never mind putting it on its front page, as all the others did.

  9. carlos says:

    The only honourable way for these two gentlemen is to resign, thus saving the MOC a lot of embarrassment and trouble.

  10. TROY says:

    The problem is that you need a two-thirds majority in parliament to fire a judge.

  11. obama says:

    Joseph Muscat will get rid of this corruption

  12. Jemima says:

    Ara veru Malti bhal dan ser j..xi l-poplu!

    We’re in for it. Mark my words.

  13. G. Borg says:

    You should check out:

    Alan Zammit Pro et noe vs caruana curran Joseph et noe 1783/2012/1

    Farrugia Sacco was presiding judge in a potential conflict of interest case (involving a national/Olympic sports issues).

  14. Evarist Saliba says:

    Claiming that “it is not worth it” to break the rules to accomodate a shady enquiry on selling Olympic games tickets, rather than kicking out of one’s office the persons suggeting such a move, shows a low level of ethical standards.

    If the persons who have been criticised by the international body do not do the right thing, it is up to the local olympics committe to protect Malta’s international standing.

    I am not overlooking the implications on the ethical standards of a judge who has already been told that he has been found wanting.

  15. Riya says:

    Kieku kien xi hadd iehor u mhux importanti daqs Lino Farrugia Sacco ghax min jaf kemm ghamel pjaciri bhala Mhallek min gewwa l-Qorti kien imur il-habs ghax din bicca xoghol tahraq u serja hafna.

    Imma inzertajna Maltin u minn ghandu is-sahha ma’ jigrilu xejn. U jekk tkun zghir u tiapicca l-Qorti issib xi Magistrat jew Imhallef korrot bhal Farrigia Sacco u jdamdmek.

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