Updated 12.30pm

Two men were remanded in custody on Sunday after pleading not guilty to being in possession of cocaine in amounts denoting it was not for their personal use.

The arraignments followed a statement by the police earlier in the day saying that two men - an Italian and a Maltese, were arrested after they were found in possession of five kilograms of cocaine with a street value of €250,000 in St Paul’s Bay on Friday.

The Maltese was carrying three kilograms of the drug while another two kilograms were found in the Italian’s car.  Besides cocaine, the police also found a large amount of cash.

In court on Sunday, the Italian, 49-year-old Claudio Castano from Calabria, was also charged with money laundering.

Inspector Alfred Mangion, who prosecuted, told the court that both Castano and Walter Baldacchino, 43, who lives in Valletta, were arraigned following weeks of observation carried out based on information received from the public.

No request for bail was made in the case of Castano, represented in court by Jason Grima.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb, representing Baldacchino, requested bail for their client arguing on the presumption of innocence. 

They also argued that since an inquiry was being held, witnesses testifying in front of an inquiry did not need to testify again during the compilation of evidence.

They argued that their client had ties to the community and a fixed address.

However, Mangion argued against bail because of the seriousness of the crimes and the real risk of tampering with evidence, seeing that civilian witnesses still had to be heard. Moreover, the investigation was still ongoing, he said.

After hearing submissions from both parties, magistrate Ian Farrugia denied bail.

Photo: CMRU, Malta Police Force