Footballer Jurgen Pisani has been acquitted of all match-fixing charges after Malta’s Court of Criminal Appeal overturned his previous conviction and 15-month prison sentence.
The ruling brings an end to a high-profile case that centred on allegations of attempted manipulation of a Malta Premier League fixture between Santa Luċija and Birkirkara in May 2024.
Judge Neville Camilleri ruled that the evidence presented against Pisani failed to meet the legal threshold required for a criminal conviction, concluding that the original judgment was not sufficiently supported by the facts of the case.
Pisani had initially been found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of the match by allegedly offering Birkirkara striker Maxuell Maia €2,000 not to score during the encounter. The match, played on 3 May 2024, ended in a 2-2 draw, with Santa Luċija fighting to avoid relegation at the time.
The footballer appealed the decision, arguing that the first court had placed excessive reliance on circumstantial evidence and testimony that lacked sufficient credibility. His defence team maintained that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
A key element of the original case involved deleted WhatsApp messages exchanged between Pisani and teammate Steve Pisani. However, the Court of Appeal found shortcomings in the prosecution’s handling of the digital evidence.
In reviewing the evidence, Judge Camilleri also considered Pisani’s explanation for deleting the WhatsApp conversations. While the original court dismissed his claim that the messages were removed to conceal plans for a celebration at a gentleman’s club from his wife, the Court of Appeal concluded that the explanation could not be dismissed outright without supporting evidence to the contrary.
As a result, the court ruled that significant doubts remained regarding the prosecution’s case and overturned both the prison sentence and the accompanying 10-year sporting ban.
Pisani was represented by lawyers Franco Debono, Edward Gatt and Adreana Zammit.
