A suspected drug trafficker who allegedly dropped a cocaine-filled sachet at the Qormi police station while signing the bail book, on Friday pleaded not guilty to simple drug possession and breaching seven previous bails. 

Terence Cini, a 38-year old Qormi resident, was escorted to court from the Corradino Correctional Facility where he was remanded in custody three days ago over separate charges.

Court was told that on October 7, Cini went to the police station to keep his regular appointment with the bail book, where he inadvertently left behind a suspicious packet.

Prosecuting Inspector Wayne Bonello said the packet triggered a magisterial inquiry and experts were appointed to determine the suspicious contents as well as trace its owner. 

CCTV footage led police to Cini, while a scientific expert certified the contents as amounting to 4.95 grams of cocaine. 

On Friday, Cini pleaded not guilty to simple possession of the drug, breaching seven previous bail decrees as well as relapsing. 

The prosecution objected to the defence’s request for bail in light of Cini’s unruly character as manifested by his criminal record and the fact that he had been granted bail several times prior to this incident. 

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Rene’ Darmanin rebutted that “ironically enough”, the crime allegedly happened when Cini was abiding by bail conditions.

Moreover, the amount of cocaine was slightly above the 2g limit that has been decriminalised.

Had the amount been 1.9g, Cini would not have been liable to criminal prosecution and would not have been charged with breaching bail, argued Debono. 

But what was more important was the fact that the scientific expert who had certified the contents of the sachet operated from a state laboratory that was not accredited in terms of international standards.

“It is unacceptable that today in 2023, such an advanced state as Malta still lacks an accredited state-operated  lab,” argued Debono, drawing a parallel with a private lab operated by another scientific expert, namely Marisa Cassar, which was well accredited. 

Where, as in Cini’s case, the amount of drug was minimal, weighing scales that might not be properly calibrated could make all the difference, went on the defence, pointing out that in line with international practices, accredited labs were regularly inspected and checked.

“Such accreditation is another in a series of safeguards envisaged in criminal proceedings,” said the lawyer, registering an objection to the expert appointed in this case by the inquiring magistrate. 

These charges dated back to October 7 and all evidence had since been preserved in the in genere inquiry, concluded the defence. 

After taking note of Cini’s criminal record on the one hand and submissions by the defence on the other, the court, presided over by Magistrate Noel Bartolo, upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €2,000, a personal guarantee of €4,000, signing the bail book three times weekly and under a curfew between 10pm and 6am. 

Having secured his eighth bail, Cini was nonetheless escorted back to jail where he had been remanded three days ago.