A man accused of trafficking up to 1.2kg of cocaine has been granted bail, against a personal guarantee of €20,000.

Gerson Abiaka was arrested last April after police received a tip-off suggesting he had drugs in his hotel room.

Prosecuting police inspector Kevin Pulis had told the courts how the police had obtained a search warrant to carry out surveillance of the hotel.

Officers then entered Abiaka’s room and carried out a search which resulted in the discovery of a plastic bag containing 88 capsules of cocaine inside the soffit of the room’s bathroom.

Abiaka, 33, from Saint Laurent Du Maroni in France, is alleged to have hidden the 88 capsules himself.

He denies the charges against him.,

The courts, presided over by magistrate Neville Camilleri, granted Abiaka bail against a deposit of €5,000 and a personal guarantee of €20,000.

The has been ordered to obey a curfew and to sign a bail book daily.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Yanika Vidal appeared for Abiaka.