A waterpolo official has been barred from aquatic sports activities for two years, after threatening an anti-doping official he would report him to the sports minister and have his boss transferred.

Neptunes waterpolo club official and Labour activist Rainer Scerri was also fined €100 by the Aquatic Sports Association (ASA) for being “a repeat offender”.

Following an investigation, Scerri was suspended from all ASA activities for five years, however two of those years will come into effect immediately, while the remaining three are suspended.

Disciplinary commissioner Adrian Camilleri described the official's behaviour as "totally unacceptable".

On Saturday, Times of Malta revealed that following a match between Neptunes and Sliema on July 19, Scerri and other club officials protested over the way players were chosen for doping tests.

Scerri advised them not to take the test and threatened the anti-doping official that he would take the matter to minister Clifton Grima. He took a photo of the anti-doping official’s badge and threatened them that the CEO of the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport (AIMS) – Luciano Busuttil – would be transferred if need be.

The tests procedures were ultimately followed without further issues. 

On Wednesday, the ASA disciplinary commissioner found Scerri guilty of threatening an individual, refusing obedience or showing disrespect, behaving in such a way that is likely to bring the sport into disrepute, behaving in such a way that is likely to give a bad example, encouragement to break the rules, and miss or refuse to be tested when required to do so by the relevant authorities.

'Unacceptable behaviour'

Camilleri said Scerri's "totally uncalled for" behaviour could have had much more serious consequences had his own players - Steven Camilleri and Ivovic Aleksandar - followed his advice of not undergoing a doping test. 

"No one should argue with any officials who are doing their job, let alone threaten them to be reported to a minister or trying to intimidate them by bringing other people who are extraneous to the matter into play – this is totally unacceptable behaviour, which apart from being a bad example to others, brings the game of waterpolo to disrepute," he said in a report on the incident," Camilleri said. 

It is understood Scerri, who previously denied mentioning the minister or threatening anyone would get a transfer, has appealed the decision, and a date for the hearing will be set later on Thursday.

In comments to Times of Malta following the decision, ASA president Karl Izzo said the association had done its job and taken immediate action over the incident.

Izzo said he had all confidence in the integrity of the disciplinary commissioner.