Police are investigating a senior gaming authority official over the alleged misuse of sensitive internal information.  

Sources within the Malta Gaming Authority on Friday told Times of Malta that Jason Farrugia, who until Thursday was the MGA's chief technology officer, was being investigated by the police.  

Farrugia is suspected of having made irregular access to confidential and commercially sensitive information held at the authority.

The investigation is being led by the police’s Financial Crime Investigation Department. 

Farrugia was suspended from the MGA last week and an internal review this week decided to dismiss him and refer the matter to the police. He tendered his resignation after he was informed of the MGA’s decision on Thursday morning.

Attempts to contact Farrugia for comment were unsuccessful. 

Senior sources within the MGA claimed that Farrugia had been caught “red-handed” misusing data held by the authority.

A review of his work devices found he was moving confidential information from the MGA servers to a personal account, they said. 

“The police will now have to establish what he was doing with this data,” a source within the authority said. 

In a statement, the authority said Farrugia no longer has any connection to the MGA and can no longer represent it or speak on its behalf. 

This is not the first time the MGA has been in the headlines over alleged data breaches. 

Earlier this year, Times of Malta exposed how the regulator's former CEO Heathcliff Farrugia, is facing criminal charges following an investigation into trading in influence with Yorgen Fenech.