A man allegedly found with some 1.3 kilos of cocaine in his car and more drugs at his home, was remanded in custody upon his arraignment on Friday. 

Renald Attard, a 36-year-old Luqa resident was driving at his hometown, alongside a passenger, when police, acting upon confidential information, zeroed in on him on Wednesday.

A search of his vehicle yielded some 1.3 kilos of cocaine. 

As the officers moved to the suspect’s home, they came across more drugs, some of which tucked away inside a barbeque outside on the balcony. 

The police said on Thursday that, in total, the drugs carried a street value of around €90,000.

The man was arrested and charged on Friday with possession of cocaine under circumstances denoting that the drug was not for his own personal use, possession of cannabis resin as well as breach of bail. 

He was further charged with relapsing. 

The accused pleaded not guilty and requested bail. 

That request was strongly objected to by the prosecution not only in view of the gravity of the charges but also on account of the amount of drugs and the manner in which they were hidden at the accused’s home where the man’s children also lived. 

Moreover, the accused’s criminal record was not untainted, argued prosecuting inspector Alfredo Mangion, noting further that civilian witnesses were still to testify.

Investigation were also at a premature stage, the inspector said. 

Defence lawyer Franco Debono countered that the court was to strike a balance between the rights of the accused and the risks perceived by the prosecution, stressing that such fears could be neutralised through adequately stringent bail conditions. 

Moreover, the court had to determine whether all witnesses were admissible in terms of law, Debono argued. 

After hearing submissions by both parties, the court, presided over by magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, turned down the bail request in view of the gravity of the charges, the unruly character of the accused and the possibility of tampering with evidence. 

Marion Camilleri was also defence counsel. 

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