Ex-prison guard jailed

A former prison guard was yesterday jailed for two years when he admitted to dealing in heroin and smuggling the drug into prison four months ago.

"Nowadays, in our country, there is an influx of drugs in prison and, therefore, the court must ensure it is conveying the message that it will not tolerate such situations and that a person who does such things would have to suffer the consequences," Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera said.

The magistrate heard Raymond Gerada, 43, of Birzebbuga plead guilty to trafficking in heroin and committing the crime when he was in duty bound to prevent such things from taking place in July this year.

She heard that Mr Gerada was found in the possession of the drugs during a surprise search on prison guards at the prison.

After noting that Mr Gerada had cooperated with the police from the start she ruled she ought to apply the minimum jail term. She imposed a general interdiction on Mr Gerada and ordered that the time spent in preventive custody be deducted from his jail term.

Police Inspector Dennis Theuma prosecuted.