Man admitted possession of cannabis, court told

Almost 20 kilos of dried cannabis leaves were found by the police at a house and two fields belonging to man who later admitted possession, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera was told yesterday.

The magistrate was hearing Inspector Nezren Grixti give evidence in the compilation against Paul Muscat, 55, of Nadur who stands charged with cultivation, possession and trafficking of cannabis.

Inspector Grixti testified that after receiving confidential information, the police had set up observation points near the residence of the accused. On December 16, the accused was spotted leaving his home and driving his motorcycle towards his fields in Nadur. Some time later he returned home and left again, this time carrying a sack which looked full, and drove towards his fields in Qala. There he was stopped by the police who found a quantity of cannabis plants in the sack.

A search in his residence yielded more cannabis plants.

Muscat had tried to dispose of a box by throwing it off the roof of his residence into a yard. The box was later retrieved by the police and found to contain more cannabis plants.

The day after, the police, accompanied by the accused, carried out another search in his fields in Nadur were they found three blue-coloured tanks containing bags with cannabis leaves.

In his statement to the police, Muscat admitted that all the plants found were his and that he had been the only person who had sown, cultivated, cut and dried the cannabis plants. He explained that way back in April he had found some seeds in a box of matches and he had sown them to see what type of seeds they were. He grew about 12 plants and realised they were cannabis. He used to water them twice a week and after the end of September he had cut the plants, dried them up, weighed them and put them in plastic bags.

In yesterday's sitting, court-appointed expert Mario Mifsud confirmed that the total amount of cannabis leaves allegedly found by the police in the possession of the accused amounted to about 20 kilos.

The court rejected Muscat's plea for bail.

Superintendent Neil Harrison and Inspector Nezren Grixti are prosecuting.

Dr Anton Refalo is appearing for Muscat.