Kucuk Melek, a Turkish woman who swallowed around 50 capsules of heroin and brought them to Malta, yesterday told the court that she met the accused, Mario Borg, outside a hotel in Paceville to give him the drugs.

Ms Melek was testifying in the trial by jury, presided over by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, of Mario Borg who is being tried on drug-related charges.

Mr Borg, 31, from Bugibba is pleading not guilty to the charges of importing heroin, planning to import heroin and possession of drugs in circumstances denoting that were not for his personal use, between February and April 2003.

Ms Melek said, that on 4 March 2003, she gave the accused two batches of heroin. However, she said that he did not pay her the second time because she did not give him all the drugs, and she had received instructions from Turkey not to ask for money the second time.

Ms Melek explained to the court that, in March, she was unable to give him all the drugs because she felt sick, and as a result, she was told that she had to go to Malta again.

She usually brought about half a kilo of heroin to Malta, but when she arrived at the airport she threw up and lost a lot of the capsules.

Ms Melek said that when they arrived in Malta on 3 March, she decided to tell her friend, Ms Nilguni – who testified on Monday – to meet the Maltese man.

The following day, 4 March, she felt unwell and as a result flushed many capsules down the toilet. Ms Melek also said that she decided to meet the Maltese man because she was more fluent in English.

She told the court that she met the accused close to the hotel, and that he called her by name as soon as he saw her. The witness identified Mr Borg as the man who came to pick up the drugs. When she handed over the drugs, he paid her $1,000.

Ms Melek testified that as soon as she returned to the hotel, she received a phone call from Kamil and his girlfriend from Turkey, who called to check that all had gone well.

She was also told to meet Mr Borg again and give him the remaining capsules, but not to take any money.

Ms Melek said that she and Ms Nilguni decided to hire a car to relax and do some sightseeing. During this trip, she added, they both had decided not to take such a risk again.

However, when they returned to Turkey, she was told that she would have to return to Malta with more drugs, because she did not deliver the full amount. Since Ms Melek was sick during the flight, and only delivered 350 grams of heroin instead of 500 grams to Mr Borg.

Ms Melek said that even though she refused to do it and tried to get out of it by saying that she did not need any money, she became afraid and made the trip to Malta a second time.

She told the court that when she returned to Malta, she felt sick again. However, the people in Turkey told her that her friend had swallowed the capsules, and added that if she refused to do so then she would be in trouble.

The witness said that Kamil’s girlfriend told her to put the capsules in her private parts if she did not want to swallow them. Ms Melek said that, during her second visit to Malta, she was arrested by police inspector Nezren Grixti while she was leaving the hotel and, as a result, did not deliver the drugs.

She also said, as did her friend Ms Nilguni, that she did not know what was in the capsules, but was under the impression that these contained some type of drug.

In his address, Mr Borg’s defence lawyer Roberto Montalto said that there are many doubts in this case. He queried whether Mr Borg did anything to import the drugs into Malta saying that this was not the case, as the two Turkish women admitted that they brought the drug from Turkey. Furthermore, he added, they did not even know the person they had to meet.

Dr Montalto pointed out that the two women came to Malta twice without even knowing to whom they had to deliver the drugs. Both also testified that they did not know what was inside the capsules and, as a result, created doubt as to what was actually in the capsules in March 2003.

The defence lawyer also told the jurors that no one knew about their trip to Malta in March 2003, and that the only story they know about is the one that took place in April 2003, asking what proof or evidence was presented with regard to March 2003.

He also asked the jurors to question where Mr Borg was in April 2003, and reminded them that he was only mentioned once by Insp. Grixti when he was seen by the police in Paceville. “However, this is no proof,” said Dr Montalto.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara, declared that after the testimony of the two Turkish women, there is no more evidence to present the court.

He told the jurors that it was common sense that the drugs were destined for Malta, and, in turn, for Mr Borg.

“The drug came to Malta because someone wanted it, and, as the two women pointed out, it was for the accused,” he said. Furthermore, he added, “the accused knew the women and called them by name, even if they did not know his.”

Dr Anthony Barbara prosecuted, while Dr Jose Herrera and Dr Roberto Montalto appeared for the accused.