A suspected drug trafficker allegedly caught with around 100 grams of cocaine and a stash of cash was remanded in custody on Saturday after pleading not guilty to the charges brought against him. 

Before magistrate Marseanne Farrugia, Leandro Mansueto, 22, from Floriana, denied drug trafficking and possession of cocaine which was found in circumstances denoting it was not for personal use.

The court heard how the drug was found in weighed sachets, ready for trafficking. He was also charged with failing to observe the conditions of a previous release as well as breaching bail conditions over a pending case. 

The court heard how the police received confidential information that a man was going to be involved in a drug deal.

The police observed his patterns until they pounced on him in Pietà on Thursday. The drugs were divided into sachets. Following his arrest, officers searched his home and discovered cash and more of the suspected drug.

The police said further investigations are undergoing.

Defence lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb requested bail for their client. They argued that since there was a magisterial inquiry, all testimonies and evidence had been preserved.

They asked what kind of civilian witnesses needed to testify. Was it an owner of the garage or the  owner of the vehicle? They said the charge regarding the breaching of bail was not an automatic one but needed to be proved.

Moreover, the principle of presumption of innocence had to be observed as this was not something cosmetic and peripheral. This right had to be respected and not neautralised or trampled upon under the guise of pending police investigations.

The defence lawyers also referred to recent court of appeal decision regarding electronic tagging which could be used to granted people bail. The lack of such electronic means of monitoring a person should not come at the cost a person’s liberty.

Police inspector Steven-Ryan Micallef objected to the request for bail due to pending police investigations, the serious nature of the crimes allegedly committed as well as the fact that the accused was not a first-time offender.

Magistrate Farrugia turned down the request and the man was remanded in custody.