Iosif Galea, the former Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) compliance officer arrested over fraud accusations earlier this month, has been banned from acting as a director at any MGA licensed business, and stripped of his one current director position.
The MGA said it has notified Galea that it has cancelled any approvals that allow him to act as director for MGA licensees. The regulator said Galea held a single directorship role with one of its licensees at the time it notified him of the decision.
Galea was detained on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) at the start of June while on holiday in Italy with a group that included Malta’s former Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat.
Galea had been wanted by the German authorities since last year over alleged crimes including tax evasion. The Times of Malta reported that he was already on police bail in Malta over an alleged leak of information from the MGA when he departed for his holiday in Italy.
An independent investigation into the Malta Police Force has since commenced with the body having been criticised for sitting on the EAW and allowing Galea to travel.
Galea has been an igaming regulatory compliance consultant in Malta for more than six years, having previously been employed by what was then the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) for six years until 2013. According to his LinkedIn profile, his duties at the LGA included licensing and post-licensing as well as investigations on gaming systems and licensed operators.
In a statement issued at the time of his arrest, the MGA said: “The MGA would like to clarify that Mr Galea has not been employed with the Authority since March 2013. Mr Galea held the role of compliance officer between December 2007 and March 2013.”
