A woman prison warder denied that she gave orders to a prisoner to throw away drugs, as claimed by the prisoner. Warder Nina Formosa was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Concetta Decelis and her son Jason, who are accused of drug trafficking in jail.  

Concetta, 57, and her 35-year-old son, are serving time for the death of  Rachel Bowdler, an 18-year-old who was found dead in a field, in the limits of Mgarr, on 13 May, 2001. Both were found guilty of involuntary homicide, with Jason Decelis jailed for 25 years, and his mother 15 years. His father Carmel was jailed for a year and a half.

On 21 November, 2009, drugs were found in a skip in jail and prisoner Carmen Spiteri had said that it was Concetta Decelis who had given her the drug after she had met her son. Spiteri also alleged that Warder Formosa told her to throw the drug away. But as she testified in court, in tears, Formosa denied this, and said it was another prison warder, Karen Grech, who gave her orders to go with Spiteri and throw away the drug in a skip.

Formosa said that although she had accompanied Spiteri, until she put a small packet in a coffee jar, she was anxiously waiting for the prison Major to come in to inform her about what had happened.

Asked by Tonio Azzopardi, counsel for the accused, if Grech and Spiteri are in a relationship, Formosa said yes. The case is being heard by Magistrate Edwina Grima. Inspector Jesmond Borg is prosecuting.