Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/516462
MATTHEW VELLA FOREIGN nationals gaining a foothold in the unimpressive Maltese football leagues are using their ability to bring star players from overseas, as a way of rigging matches so that they can make a killing on betting websites. Earlier this week, two Maltese na- tionals and two Italians connected to Maltese football were named by Catan- zaro police as forming part of a loosely- connected syndicate of match-fixers, who staked tens of thousands of euros on lowly Italian Serie D and Lega Pro leagues. Brothers Robert and Adrian Farrugia – the former at one time president of Msida St Joseph, the latter a team manager at Mosta FC, where Robert's son Tyrone plays – have not yet been questioned by Maltese police. But they were named as "financiers" of betting combinations by the Italian police, whose Operation Dirty Soccer originally started off as an investigation into a captain of the notorious 'ndrang- heta crime organisation. Waiver exonerates Skanska Newspaper post Sex therapist Maria Ali 'Boys will not always be boys' 14-15 hamiltontravel.com.mt MSC MUSICA Group departures between JULY & SEPTEMBER 2015 MSC POESIA VISITING Venice - Bari - Katakolon - Izmir - Istanbul - Dubrovnik Group departures between JULY & SEPTEMBER 2015 VISITING Venice - Bari - Katakolon - Santorini - Piraeus - Corfu - Kotor LAST FEW CABINS AVAILABLE AT FANTASTIC PRICES! GREEK ISLANDS CRUISE ON EASTERN MED CRUISE ON YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday Match-fixing bust sheds light on foreign interest in Maltese league IT could be next to impossible for the government to recover any damages for the scandal- ous shortcomings in the quality of cement used in constructing Malta's state-of-the-art Mater Dei Hospital which has been found to be severely deficient in safety. At least €30 million will have to be spent to make the hospital safe, according to international consultants who spoke to the health ministry. But the crux of the problem facing the gov- ernment is that on 19 February, 2009, the Foun- dation for Medi- cal Services signed away on a contract any claims or disputes that could be raised against Swedish construction gi- ant Skanska – which built Mater Dei – as well as local and foreign architects and engineers, cement suppliers, and logistical service companies for faulty or defective works at the hospital. An inside source who spoke to MaltaToday claimed that the exoneration by the Foundation for Medical Services effectively made it very difficult for the gov- ernment to seek any compensa- tion or to hold anyone responsi- ble for negligence. Details of the contract surfaced only now, coinciding with news of faulty cement quality at the hospital, that could have saved suppliers some €40 million. CONTINUES PG 6 SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2015 • ISSUE 811 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY PUT IT ON THE CARD Gaddafi's son Muatassim used Bank of Valletta Platinum card for his life of luxury PG 8-9 ALL THE FURY Teo Reljic has nothing short of five stars for the Mad Max reboot PG 32 Mater Dei contract includes waiver for Skanska and Maltese partners • Former minister John Dalli says both sides 'reached overall agreement to wash out claims' Whip breaks ranks over Zonqor PG 3 PAGE 4 €1.40 A VOICE OF DISSENT • PGS 14-15 Labour deputy mayor for Marsaskala DESIREE ATTARD reads power well: 'American University will line people's pockets but this is not what we need'