Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/747633
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2016 6 News CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A former Malta international football player was granted release from his ar- rest just hours after being hauled into custody by the Gozo police, to make a 3pm kick-off the next day for a Gozo first division match. There was no official press state- ment issued by the police on Satur- day, 29 October when Daniel Bog- danovic, the 36-year-old midfielder for Xewkija Tigers, was placed un- der arrest by the police over a domestic incident that included threats made against his wife, and for carrying a licensed weapon out- side the premises it was registered to. It was only on Monday at 1:30pm, that the police force issued a state- ment stating that the man – name not published – had been arraigned before Magistrate Joanne Vella Cuschieri, and released from his ar- rest under certain conditions. But in between his arrest on Saturday, and his court-ordered release from arrest on Monday, Daniel Bogdanovic was playing against Kercem at 3pm, in a match in which Xewkija Tigers emerged victorious. Crucial to his release on Sunday, a police source told MaltaToday, was a call from a government ministry official, requesting Gozo police to allow Bogdanovic to play. "It was a call that came straight from one of the ministerial secre- tariats, to a high police official in Gozo aware of Bogdanovic's ar- rest. Xewkija needed him to play Kercem, and he was allowed to play before being presented under ar- rest, officially, in the Gozo courts," MaltaToday's source, who has in- sisted on anonymity, said. Another source privy to the court proceedings said the unorthodox 'release' was no secret among foot- balling circles. "When knowing that Bogdanovic was being arraigned for an incident that happened Sat- urday evening, and having seen him smiling in the Xewkija line-up the day after, you instantly start ques- tioning: how is it possible?" According to the official police statement, on 29 October Bog- danovic was charged for having threatened "third parties" and struck fear in them with the use of violence, and for having in his pos- session a firearm outside the prem- ises for which it was licensed. Bogdanovic, arraigned before Magistrate Vella Cuschieri on 31 October, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted release from his arrest under several con- ditions. The prosecution was led by Inspector Edel Mary Camilleri. Crucially for Bogdanovic, Xewkija Tigers is perhaps one of the most politically connected football clubs on the island of Gozo. The pre- sent Gozo minister, Anton Refalo, had lent his support to the club as a bank guarantor for the acquisi- tion of the Xewkija Tigers football club premises. MaltaToday is not suggesting Refalo is involved with the controversial release of Bogda- novic. Additionally, Xewkija Tigers' cur- rent coach, Jesmond Zammit, is the head of secretariat of the parlia- mentary secretary for EU funds, Ian Borg. MaltaToday is not suggesting that Zammit is involved with Bog- danovic's release from arrest. But this newspaper is reli- ably informed that it was a government official that requested Gozo police to al- low Bogdanovic to play on Sunday. "The police simply acquiesced," the police source said. "There is no doubt that this was a danger- ous incident that did not merit this kind of leniency, not when the victim of the domestic incident could have been placed in danger of retribution. And for what reason: to play a football match on Sunday, to Xewkija Tigers' benefit? At the very least, this was totally unorthodox." Additional reporting by Saviour Balzan Daniel Bogdanovic is a Maltese footballer of Ser- bian and Slovenian de- scent. In 2006, he scored 31 goals for Marsaxlokk, win- ning him the Golden Boot and also the Maltese Play- er of the Year. That season, Marsaxlokk were crowned as league champions for the first time in their his- tory. At the end of the player's one-year contract, Bogda- novic joined Italian side Cisco Roma, then in 2008 signed a two-year deal with Bulgarian club Loko- motiv Sofia. In 2009 he signed for Barnsley, and in 2010 he signed a two–year deal with Sheffield United. Despite being a relatively high-profile signing he found it difficult to break into the first team. On 31 August 2011 he signed a one-year deal with the option of a further year with Blackpool, for a fee of £250,000. In 2012 he joined Rochdale in a 28-day emergency loan deal, and then loaned out to Notts County until the end of the season. He returned to Malta with Mosta for the 2012– 13 season, played with Floriana for the 2013-14 season, and finally joined Xewkija Tigers. FACT FILE Daniel Bogdanovic 'Totally unorthodox' release from arrest to play Xewkija match 'Let him play': Daniel Bogdanovic gets to play his midfielder's role for Xewkija less than 24 hours after being arrested on a domestic violence and firearms breach charge Xewkija Tigers coach Jesmond Zammit is the head of secretariat of junior minister Ian Borg. Although it is not suggested that he exerted some form of influence for the release of Bogdanovic, it is just an example of the kind of 'political connection' the football club is renowned for 'Xewkija needed him to play Kercem, and he was allowed to play before being presented under arrest, officially, in the Gozo courts Success: Xewkija Tigers win against Kercem 2 goals to 1, ostensibly benefiting from having their star midfielder in play despite the serious charges for which he was held under arrest just a day before