MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo yesterday blasted the “disgusting” secret contract signed by his predecessor with Bayern Munich, just five weeks before Joe Mifsud backed Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid.
The Mail on Sunday revealed how Dr Mifsud signed a contract with Franz Beckenbauer, who at the time was President of Bayern Munich and also head of Germany’s 2006 organising committee, for the German team to play in Malta.
According to the secret contract, signed in June 2000, a broadcasting firm called CWL, owned by German media firm Kirch, would pay $250,000 to the Malta FA for rights to the friendly. Kirch had the rights to the 2006 World Cup and would earn handsomely from an event in Germany.
A clause stipulated that the contract per se, and not just its contents, were to be kept secret.
The Mail on Sunday investigation strongly suggests that Beckenbauer was personally involved in the signing, which is alleged to have taken place at Joe Mifsud’s home in Malta.
The implication is that the match was an excuse for the MFA to earn money in return for Malta’s vote in the 2006 World Cup bid. The revelation came to light as a German newspaper alleged that there was a €6.7 million slush fund used by Germany to buy votes.
MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo told the Mail how $250,000 had “fallen from the sky and into the MFA’s account” four months after the Bayern contract was signed.
Contacted by The Malta Independent yesterday, Mr Darmanin Demajo said the latest revelations were nothing really new but the same regurgitated information that had been circulating for a number of years. The MFA President had first spoken about the mysterious money deposited into the MFA’s accounts in a libel case instituted against him by Joe Mifsud.
“The information was presented years ago yet the Germans and Joe Mifsud insist that there was nothing wrong with the match and that this was just an ordinary friendly match. The new part to the equation is that Beckenbauer’s name has been linked to the secret contract and it is alleged that, instead of being an ordinary friendly, this was a way for Germany to buy Malta’s vote. Instead of coming clean the Germans and Dr Mifsud are sticking to their stories, which are not credible.”
Mr Darmanin Demajo said both Joe Mifsud and Franz Beckenbauer must have been fully aware of what they were doing. “Joe Mifsud admitted in court that Beckenbauer had come to Malta. I will leave it to people to come up with their own conclusions.”
Back in 2000, the England team also played a friendly match against Malta. England was also bidding to host the 2006 World Cup. But Mr Darmanin Demajo says England’s case was completely different because no money exchanged hands.
“It was all above board. There were no money transfers and no secret contracts. They kept their TV rights, except for some advertising and, of course the MFA benefitted from the gate money. It is quite possible that the English were also trying to get Joe Mifsud’s vote but they did things in the proper way.
“In the case of Germany there was this disgusting, secret contract. Let me tell you, Bayern Munich do not cross the street for nothing. I do not believe that they came to help us and were willing to just give us a quarter of a million dollars for a match that no one watched. People are now beginning to question the intentions of the holier than thou Germans.”