A man tracked down inside a hotel room with drugs in his possession told police officers he was carrying bicarbonate of soda in his backbag.

Denis Cremona was found in a St Paul's Bay hotel after the court issued an arrest warrant when he failed to sign a bail book and attend proceedings over drug-related charges.

The car of the 48-year-old, who has no fixed address, was spotted outside the hotel on Thursday.

Checks at the hotel led the officers to Cremona, who was staying inside a room which, when searched, yielded an amount of drugs. 

A suspicious substance - which Cremona insisted was bicarbonate of soda - was found inside his backbag. 

Sachets of suspected heroin and cocaine, as well as drug-related paraphernalia, were also found inside a sofa.

He was arrested shortly before 1pm on Thursday. Within 24 hours, he was escorted to court and charged with possession of cocaine and heroin under circumstances denoting the drugs were not intended solely for personal use.

He was also charged with committing the alleged offences during the operative period of a suspended sentence that was confirmed on appeal in January 2023. 

The accused pleaded not guilty. 

A request for bail was objected to in view of the accused’s untrustworthiness. 

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb countered that the law provided for treatment rather than imprisonment in case of drug dependence in terms of Chapter 537 of the laws of Malta. 

As for the alleged breach of bail, nothing was put forward about that issue in court.

Moreover, the prosecution did not mention any civilian witnesses and the consequent fear of tampering with evidence, argued the defence. 

However, after hearing submissions by both parties the court, presided over by Magistrate Lara Lanfranco, turned down the request. 

Inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb were defence counsel.