A 44-year-old taxi driver on Monday pleaded not guilty to aggravated possession of cannabis and cocaine which the police found divided in sachets. 

Ivorian national Mohamed Kouruma, who lives in St Paul's Bay, denied possessing 14.4 grams of cannabis and almost seven grams of a white substance believed to be cocaine. He was stopped by police on Saturday night.

The police also found €370 on his person. No more drugs were found during a search of his apartment. 

Defence lawyers Josè Herrera and Kristina Camilleri Deguara requested that their client be released on bail. 

However, the prosecution objected, saying the accused was recently imprisoned over similar offences and had only been released in the last year.

The defence rebutted that the amount of drugs found was minimal, insisting that their client has been in Malta for 20 years and had a stable full-time job. 

Magistrate Rachel Montebello granted him bail against a €4,000 deposit and a €5,000 personal guarantee. She also ordered him to sign the bail book three times a week and be home by 11pm every evening.

Police inspector Christian Cauchi prosecuted. 

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