Nine months' jail for drug trafficking

A Libyan man has been jailed for nine months for drug trafficking after directing a Spanish man to where he could buy cannabis, while the seller, who had admitted to dealing in the drug, had received a six-month sentence.

Police had caught the trio red handed near Burger King in Paceville last October.

They noticed the Spanish tourist talking to Libyan Khalifa Iswesi Shawish, 30, and then approaching his Sudanese friend Mohammed Abubaker, who in turn sold the cannabis.

No drugs were ever found in the possession of Mr Shawish except at his flat where a single roach was found.

Taking the witness stand yesterday, Mr Shawish said that whenever he is in Paceville people always come up to him asking for cannabis, adding that he would point at Mr Abubaker whom he knew sold cannabis.

In this case the tourist had gone to him three times asking for cannabis and finally he got fed up and told him to go to Mr Abubaker. He even said he had told Mr Abubaker not to go near him as people had started recognising him as the person to ask for drugs.

Testifying, the Spaniard, Alejo De Sandoval, said that after asking Mr Shawish for the drugs, he was told to go and wait near the white taxis. Mr Shawish then signalled to him to come over to where he was standing with Mr Abubaker and was given the drugs. Magistrate Lawrence Quintano said that even just informing someone about where to get the drugs was enough to be found guilty of trafficking.

The court found Mr Shawish's testimony not credible and found him guilty of possession of the drug because he had admitted to it in his police statement and because they had found a roach inside his flat.

Finding him also guilty of trafficking, the court jailed him for nine months and fined him €590.

Mr Abubaker, who had admitted to the same charges on December 2 last year, was jailed for six months.

Police Inspector Dennis Thuema prosecuted.

Lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for Mr Shawish.