A suspected drug trafficker was granted his ninth bail application in a case of alleged bribery, a day after his eighth set of bail conditions were confirmed in a separate incident, sparked by a cocaine sachet he allegedly dropped while signing the bail book at the police station. 

Terence Cini, a 38-year-old Qormi resident, landed in fresh trouble early in October when he allegedly dropped the drug-filled sachet at the local police station, sparking fresh investigations and criminal charges for simple drug possession and breaching seven previous bail decrees. 

He pleaded not guilty when arraigned on November 3 and was granted bail against several stringent conditions including a €2,000 deposit and personal guarantee of €4,000. 

However, that day he was escorted back to the Corradino Correctional Facility, where he had been remanded a few days before, after facing charges in a separate arraignment for allegedly offering a €47,000 bribe to a witness who was to testify against him in one of his pending cases. 

The name of a criminal lawyer allegedly paid by Cini to approach the witness - John Mugliette - with the offer, had also featured in that arraignment. 

During the hearing of the bribery case on Thursday, prosecuting Inspectors Mark Anthony Mercieca and John Lee Howard testified about how they found out about several phone calls that had taken place between Mugliette and Cini while the witness was behind bars. 

The two had allegedly discussed the possibility of Cini paying Mugliette’s €40,000 fine as well as €7,000 in pending court expenses.

Mugliette allegedly told Cini that he would not testify against him. 

The court also heard that lawyer Matthew Xuereb had allegedly spoken to Mugliette in jail to discuss the payment of that fine. 

Mugliette also testified, confirming the prosecutors’ account. 

Following those testimonies, Magistrate Astrid May Grima upheld Cini’s request for bail against a deposit of €10,000, a personal guarantee of €20,000, signing the bail book three times daily and under a curfew between midnight and 6 am. 

That court pronouncement was the key to Cini’s release from preventive custody. 

On Wednesday his eighth bail, related to the case where he allegedly dropped a cocaine sachet at the police station, was confirmed by the Criminal Court.

The Attorney General had sought to revoke that bail arguing that Cini was not at all trustworthy and would likely commit new offences if released from arrest. 

He allegedly dropped the drug sachet while signing the bail book. 

Ironically, while obeying bail conditions he was allegedly breaching them at the same time, the AG argued. 

But Madam Justice Edwina Grima, presiding over the AG’s appeal, found no reason to vary Magistrate Noel Bartolo’s decision granting bail. 

Cini was still presumed innocent and the investigators and prosecutors had allowed a month to lapse between the discovery of the dropped sachet and Cini’s arraignment.

There was also no fear of tampering since all evidence was preserved in the records of the magisterial inquiry and witnesses were police officers and court experts, observed Judge Grima, thus confirming the bail. 

Lawyers Franco Debono and Alfred Abela are counsel to Cini.