Man, 40, faces trial by jury over link with case of drug trafficking
Austin Mallia has already admitted to cocaine possession
A 40-year-old Santa Venera man stood trial by jury on Thursday morning.
Austin Mallia is indicted for associating to traffic cannabis, being in aggravated possession of the drug, and cocaine possession. The man admitted charges of cocaine possession but is denying the other charges.
The Drug Squad investigated the case in 2018 when they placed Michele Artale under surveillance. After arriving in Malta on board the catamaran, Artale drove to Ħamrun on March 22. He was then observed going to a residence in Iklin.
At about 1pm, Mallia turned up at the Iklin residence in a Fiat. He left the residence about half an hour later and drove to his home in Santa Venera.
He got into an Isuzu van and drove back to Artale’s residence. He then waited for Artale before both men loaded a chest freezer into Mallia’s van.
The prosecution is alleging that the plan was for Mallia and Artale to meet a third man, Sandro Lo Presti, and transport the cannabis hidden in white goods in Mallia’s van. The white goods were still at Fahrenheit Logistic’s warehouse in Ta' Qali.
The police followed Mallia all the way to Ta’ Qali, where he entered a freight forwarder’s yard and drove out once again, a while later, with a box stowed on the van next to the freezer.
The man then drove to Ħamrun, stopping outside an apartment block where Artale had stopped when he returned to Malta a day earlier.
Soon after, Lo Presti drove up in a Kia Picanto, inside which were two boxes, similar to that collected by Mallia from Ta’ Qali.
Police officers intervened just as the two men were unloading the packages containing white goods and proceeded to search the Ħamrun apartment.
Lo Presti complained that he was unwell, and an ambulance was called. The objects were sealed in their presence, and an inquiry was launched.
During the search, it emerged that cannabis grass was hidden in the white goods found inside the Isuzu and Kia Picanto.
A court-appointed expert later determined that the cannabis weighed about 53 kilograms and was of about 11 per cent purity.
On Thursday morning, the jury was empanelled.
The Bill of Indictment was then read out, with the jurors being informed that the man had admitted to being in possession of cocaine.
Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera is presiding over the Criminal Court.
AG lawyers Godwin Cini and Danika Vella are prosecuting.
Lawyers Joe Giglio and Mattea Giglio is assisting the accused.