Gaming consultant Iosif Galea was granted bail after being charged with money laundering, financial crimes as a former public official and misuse of electronic equipment.
Last week, Galea was extradited to Malta from Germany after completing a prison sentence over tax evasion.
Marcus Cachia an inspector at the police cybercrime unit presented an overview of the investigations during the court proceedings on Wednesday.
The internal investigation pointed toward Jason Farrugia, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO), as the likely individual who accessed the leaked documents beyond his authorisation. As a result, Farrugia was suspended, his work accounts were deactivated, and authorities were called in.
This marked the beginning of a judicial inquiry and a dual-pronged police investigation led by the financial crimes and cybercrime units.
As the police and court-appointed experts delved deeper into the matter, they unearthed a conversation between Farrugia and a former Malta Gaming Authority employee named Galea.
The contents of this chat indicated that the two were contemplating a joint business venture.
In one of the exchanged messages, Farrugia expressed concerns about potential negative outcomes if he were to be suspended.
Galea also disclosed that he had reached out to the police to determine if Farrugia's laptop had been seized. Simultaneously, Galea and others were engaging with law enforcement personnel to impede further action.
Investigations revealed a significant volume of communication, totalling “over 64,000 seconds,” between Farrugia and Galea.
During this time, Farrugia, despite being suspended from his position, reportedly managed to infiltrate the authority's system and retrieve files.
Matthew Busuttil, Infrastructure and Security Head at MGA, also testified, explaining that the suspicious user managed to reactivate four accounts, essentially gaining unauthorized "back door" access to the system.
In addition to the discussions, Galea transferred substantial sums of money to both Farrugia and his wife.
The Farrugia couple is currently facing separate criminal charges related to the same case.
During discussions on bail, Galea's lawyer argued that since the evidence had been effectively safeguarded, the risk of tampering was negligible.
Galea had been granted police bail since January 2022. In response, Assistant Attorney General Francesco Refalo pointed out that bail conditions should reflect the gravity of the charges.
After weighing the submissions, Magistrate Rachel Montebello, granted the request for bail with a set of conditions including a requirement for Galea to sign the bail book three times a week, deposit €15,000, and provide a personal guarantee of €15,000.
The court explicitly cautioned Galea to adhere to all stipulated conditions, warning of legal consequences otherwise.
The Malta Gaming Authority, represented by lawyers James Baldacchino and Stephen Tonna Lowell, was accepted as a parte civile in the proceedings.
The case is scheduled to continue in September.