Updated 4.40pm

A 28-year-old man on Monday pleaded not guilty to possessing cocaine under circumstances denoting the drug was not intended exclusively for personal use, using a phone while driving and driving without a license and insurance cover.

Ryan Anthony Genovese, a St Paul's Bay resident who works as a barman, was flagged down on Sunday afternoon on Triq il-Port Ruman, St Paul's Bay.

The police said in a statement the man started acting suspiciously so officers searched his car and found drugs and a sum of cash.

Court heard on Monday how the police officers allegedly smelt cannabis when they approached the driver before finding four sachets of cocaine in his possession.

Another five grams of the drug was found at his parent's home where he lived.

A request for bail was objected to because of the serious nature of the offence.

But defence lawyer Martina Herrera countered that the defendant satisfied all requirements for bail.

Genovese was granted bail under various conditions, including daily signing of the bail book, a curfew between 2.30am and 10am, a €1,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €10, 000.

AG lawyer Julian Scicluna and Inspector Mark Cremona prosecuted.

Lawyer Martina Herrera was the defence counsel.

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