Mohammed Gharsalla was accused of conspiring to traffic cannabis in October 2000. He was also cleared of cannabis importation.
On Thursday, the prosecution’s star witness in the case against Gharsalla denied the accused’s involvement in the importation of a kilo-and-a-half of cannabis in October 2002.
Mohammed Abusetta is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence after being apprehended at the Malta International Airport carrying a suitcase containing a kilo-and-a-half of cannabis. He was the prosecution’s principal witness because he had said Gharsalla had sent him to buy the drugs from Morocco. Abusetta was called to the stand on Thursday, when he retracted all the allegations he had made.
The prosecuting officer and the defence both addressed the court yesterday, each giving their reasons as to which version of events they believe is the most credible.
Defence attorney Dr Anglu Farrugia said Abusetta’s last testimony in court is to be believed.
“None of us in this court room saw Abusetta give his testimony in the magistrate’s court four years ago,” he said. Dr Farrugia claimed the witness was convincing when he said Gharsalla had nothing to do with the importation of drugs.
The witness said it was a man named Shaban who had sent him to buy the cannabis in Morocco and Dr Farrugia said Abusetta was very clear about this in his testimony, even though he had previously claimed to have bought the drugs on Gharsalla’s instructions.
Dr Farrugia said Abusetta’s conscience had required him to revoke the accusations he had made against Gharsalla. The first testimony had not been corroborated, he continued, and he urged the jury to believe the testimony they had heard on Thursday.
Senior counsel to the Republic Dr Mark Said, who led the prosecution, said Abusetta’s recent testimony was not reliable due to discrepancies in consistency.
However, after the judge gave his final address to the jurors, they decided to find the accused not guilty of all charges pressed against him.
The court was presided over by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono.