A man, targeted by police in a suspected drug deal involving two kilos of cocaine worth some €180,000, held on to his personal liberty after the Attorney General failed in the bid to revoke bail. 

Liam Cassar, a 32-year old Paola resident landed under surveillance by the police Drug Squad following confidential information about a suspected drug deal last month. 

The man was tracked down while driving his vehicle along Tal-Barrani Road, Żejtun.

Police discovered two kilos of the suspected cocaine, wrapped up in garbage bags placed inside a cardboard box on the front seat of the vehicle. 

Later, under interrogation, the suspected drug dealer insisted he had no idea the parcel contained drugs, thinking there was only money inside. 

He subsequently pleaded not guilty to the single charge of possessing the drug under circumstances indicating it was not intended solely for his personal use. 

He was granted bail after defence lawyers, Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb, argued that the man had cooperated fully with investigators and that evidence was preserved in the records of a magisterial inquiry. 

Bail was granted against a deposit of €10,000, a personal guarantee of €10,000, daily signing of the bail book and under a curfew between midnight and 5am.

But three days later, the Attorney General filed an application before the Criminal Court requesting revocation of that bail decree and the accused’s re-arrest.

Failing that, the AG requested the court to make bail conditions and guarantees “more effective”.

During a sitting before the Criminal Court, presided over by Madam Justice Edwina Grima, on Friday, the defence rebutted that bail conditions were already “very onerous”.

Moreover, Cassar had cooperated with police, argued lawyer Franco Debono adding that the prosecution had the duty to put forward all evidence so as not to hinder the accused’s chances of bail. 

On Monday, the court decreed that the AG’s request could only be upheld if it was shown that the Magistrates’ Court had exercised its discretion “in an evidently wrong manner”. 

In this case, the prosecution failed to prove “even remotely” any suspicion that the accused would fail to abide by his bail conditions, said Madam Justice Grima, thus rejecting the prosecution’s request to revoke bail.