Cleared of drug possession

A Syrian man was yesterday cleared of the possession of cannabis with the intent to sell and of filing a police report in an attempt to blame others for the possession of the drugs.

Mohammed Barbar Al Zamti, 38, was cleared of the possession of the drugs in circumstances denoting they were not for his personal use in August 1999 after Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera ruled the police had failed to prove his link with the drugs.

In a separate case, which was connected to the same incident and presided over by the same magistrate, Mr Zamti was cleared of filing a false police report and simulating an offence.

It was alleged that Mr Zamti had informed the police about the presence of drugs in an apartment, where three foreign men lived, after having placed the drugs there himself. However, none of this had been proven.

Police Superintendent Neil Harrison prosecuted.

Dr José Herrera and Dr Roberto Montalto appeared for Mr Zamti.