Two held after police find array of drugs at Gżira apartment

Two 29-year-olds were remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to possession of cocaine, tusi (pink cocaine), MDMA pills and crystals, and cannabis in circumstances that showed they were not for personal use.

Clemente Pennisi, 29, a Sicilian living in Mtarfa, and Martha Clemente Jimenez, 29, a Spaniard living in Gżira appeared before Magistrate Astrid May Grima on Saturday after they were arrested on May 23.

Pennisi alone was accused of trafficking ketamine, cocaine, cannabis, MDMA tablets and crystals, as well as cannabis. 

Police inspector Alfredo Mangion told the court that the Drug Squad were patrolling the Gżira area when they noticed a car where the driver, Pennisi, was seen entering an apartment block and emerged a short time afterwards at about 1:30am and went into his car.

According to the inspector, the officers suspected there was an illicit activity ongoing. The police started following him. Sensing the police behind him, the man started driving aimless around until he then entered a road which was clearly marked as non-entry, prompting the police to stop him.

The officers searched the man and found €1,100 in cash, two mobile phones and two keys. When they asked for his details, the man said he lives in Mtarfa.

However, having seen him enter the apartment block on Triq Antonio Sciortino in Gżira, the police went to check and found that the keys he had matched the main door and that of an apartment door in the block.

Inside the apartment, they found two other individuals - Clemente Jimenez, and a third party. All three individuals were arrested. They also found pills, cocaine, ketamine and tusi.

Two of the three were charged on Saturday. 

Defence lawyer Lennox Vella contested the arrest, saying that his client, Pennisi, was being monitored by the police and was arrested without an arrest warrant.

Mangion insisted that they ‘did not know anything’ about the accused and that he was not known to the police.

The court declared the arrest valid.

The defence requested bail.

The prosecution objected, saying that both were unemployed and in the case of Pennisi, the address on his ID card showed that he lives at the Gżira apartment and not in Mtarfa.

The defence said that Pennisi’s parents were present in the courtroom and could testify about their address in Mtarfa. But the court cut him short, saying that his parents did not know their address.

The lawyer retracted the bail request.

In case of Clemente Jimenez, lawyer Adreana Zammit said the woman could stay with some friends as an alternative address. She added that her client has a drug problem and the case could eventually be decided by the Drug Court where she could potentially be found guilty but not imprisoned.

The request was rejected on the basis of the fact that both accused are unemployed with insufficient ties to Malta.

The court upheld the prosecution’s request for a freezing order and recommended to the prison director that they get the treatment they need.

The pair were remanded in custody.

AG lawyer Nadia Ciappara prosecuted along with police inspector Alfredo Mangion.

Lawyer Lennox Vella is appearing for Pennisi.

Lawyer Silvan Pulis, Adreana Zammit and Franco Debono are appearing for Clemente Jimenez.