Football: Malta Match Fixing Conviction Quashed
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
It has been reported that the Court of Criminal Appeal in Malta has quashed a 15-month prison sentence imposed upon the Maltese football player, Jurgen Pisani, for an alleged attempt by him to manipulate a Malta Premier League football match in 2024.
The Appeal Court ruled that that the initial conviction of Pisani was not legally or reasonably supported by the evidence submitted to the lower Court, and that a ten-year sports ban imposed upon him by that Court should also be lifted.
The case related to a decisive match between Santa Luċija and Birkirkara played on 3 May 2024. At the time, Santa Luċija needed a win to avoid relegation. The prosecution had alleged that Pisani offered Birkirkara striker, Maxuell Maia, €2,000 to ensure he did not score during the match, which ended in a 2–2 draw.
Pisani’s legal team successfully argued, on appeal, that the evidence before the lower Court failed to satisfy the required standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt, in particular, the disproportionate weight given to deleted ‘WhatsApp’ messages and the overall credibility of the prosecution’s main witness.
Whilst the lower Court had dismissed Pisani’s explanation that he had deleted the messages to conceal a planned celebration at a “gentleman’s club” from his wife as unbelievable, the Appeal Court found that this explanation could not be so easily dismissed.
As regards the deleted messages, the Appeal Court noted that the prosecution had failed to produce a digital forensic report to establish exactly when these messages were deleted.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
