A man was sentenced to an eight-month jail term and was fined Lm400 after being found guilty of trafficking cocaine, being in possession of the drug and also being in possession of cannabis with intent to sell.

John Bonnici, 55 of Marsa, had been accused of cocaine trafficking and possession as well as of cannabis possession with intent to sell. On 6 March 1998, the accused was stopped in a roadblock and found to be carrying a total of 57 grammes of cannabis resin. A small packet containing cocaine was also discovered in the man’s wallet.

During the proceedings, the court heard a man named Christopher Borg declare the accused had sold him cocaine a number of times in February 1997 and in the previous years.

The court found Mr Borg’s testimony to be credible in spite of the accused’s insistence that he had never sold cocaine. Presiding magistrate Lawrence Quintano found Bonnici guilty of all the charges brought against him and sentenced him to an eight-month jail term. The man was also fined Lm400. Inspector Dennis Theuma prosecuted.