Two guilty, one acquitted in drug trafficking trial
Three men were facing charges of conspiring to traffic 1,940 ecstasy pills in 2008
Updated: 7.20pm
Rio Micallef and David Tabone have been found guilty of conspiring to traffic drugs as Darren James Vella was acquitted by jury on Thursday afternoon.
A jury ruled that Micallef had conspired to traffic drugs with six votes to three. The jurors also found him guilty of selling ecstasy and being in possession of ecstasy in circumstances which denoted that it was not for personal use, with seven votes in favour and two against in both counts.
David Tabone was found guilty of conspiring to traffic drugs with six votes to three, while he was acquitted on the fourth and fifth count.
Darren James Vella was found not guilty with eight votes to one.
Micallef and Tabone will be sentenced at a hearing scheduled for April 8.
David Tabone (L), Rio Micallef and Darren James Vella (R) at the crime scene. File photos: Chris Sant FournierAround 30 people, relatives and friends of the accused, crammed into the court room to hear the verdict.
As the verdict was being read out, Micallef's mother burst out crying and screamed: "After 17 years!"
Judge Edwina Grima ordered the marshalls to escort Micallef's parents out of the court room.
Deliberation
The jurors in the trial of three men allegedly involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy 16 years ago started deliberating on the case on Thursday afternoon.
Rio Micallef from Marsa, Naxxar resident David Tabone and Darren James Vella from Birkirkara are facing charges of conspiring to traffic 1,940 ecstasy pills in 2008. They are pleading not guilty.
The jurors retired to their chambers earlier on Thursday afternoon to decide whether the three are guilty or not of the charges brought against them after nine days of listening to the evidence brought forward by the prosecution.
They also heard the prosecution and the defence make their case before the presiding judge summed up the facts and arguments of the trial.
On Thursday, Madam Justice Edwina Grima summed up the facts and arguments of the trial in the morning session.
Over the past days, the jurors heard how the three men were arrested when the police received a tip-off on Tabone, who was allegedly trafficking drugs. The man was placed under surveillance.
On September 15, 2008, Tabone was observed leaving his home, driving towards McDonald’s in Birkirkara, where he was joined by Vella.
The pair then met Micallef, who was in his car, and drove to Old Church Street in the same locality.
They parked their cars at a distance from each other, and two of the suspects approached a garage, with Tabone allegedly carrying a black bag.
When Micallef sensed the presence of the police, he crouched and allegedly threw a white bag under a parked van before fleeing.
He was arrested together with Vella and Tabone.
Inside the bag, the police found 1,940 ecstasy pills with an estimated street value of €18,624.
The police also seized €9,330 in cash and a set of electronic weighing scales bearing drug traces, which were inside a black bag which Tabone was allegedly carrying.
Madam Justice Edwina Grima is presiding over the Criminal Court.
Lawyers Kevin Valletta, Godwin Cini and Danica Vella are prosecuting on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.
Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri appeared on behalf of David Tabone.
Lawyers José Herrera and Alex Scerri Herrera are assisting Rio Micallef.
Lawyers Michael Sciriha and Matthew Xuereb assisted Darren James Vella.