Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano is this morning expected to hand down his decision on the Attorney General’s request for the revocation of bail for a man who is facing criminal proceedings for the importation of more than 50,000 ecstasy pills.

Steven John Lewis Marsden, 45, from Sheffield in the United Kingdom, but who lives in St Paul’s Bay, was charged with conspiring with people in Malta and abroad to import ecstasy pills into the country. He was also charged with importing more than 50,000 ecstasy pills and with being in possession of the banned drug.

Monday’s haul is believed to have been the biggest ever in Malta and the market value of the ecstasy pills is estimated to be in the region of about Lm250,000.

Mr Marsden pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him. Magistrate Dennis Montebello acceded to a request for bail by legal aid Leslie Cuschieri and granted him bail against a deposit of Lm10,000. He did not bind the defendant with a personal guarantee but ordered the freezing of all his assets.

Despite being granted bail, Mr Marsden is still at the Corradino Correctional Facility since he does not have the Lm10,000 to pay as his deposit to get out of jail.

Yesterday, the prosecution argued that in the future, defence lawyers will use this case when they plead for their clients to be granted bail. They also said that he did not help the police at all during the investigations, and that he could also approach and speak to witnesses and there was also the possibility that he would abscond from Malta.

The prosecution called on the court to revoke the man’s bail and remand him in custody while the criminal proceedings are under way.

The defence, on the other hand, said that the fact that he was foreign did not necessarily mean that he cannot be granted bail.

Mr Marsden is married and has two children living in Bristol, in the United Kingdom.

Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano is expected to hand down his decision this morning.