A man who is facing drug possession charges yesterday told the court that he was not a drug user, and had he known his father was trafficking in drugs, he would have reported him to the authorities.

Francis Michael Stuart Saliba, 34, from Cospicua, is pleading not guilty to the charges of possession of almost 2.5kgs of cannabis, with an estimated street value of e15,116, in circumstances denoting that it was not for his personal use in 2004.

Mr Saliba said his father was 75 years old, but was more like an 18-year-old. Despite this, he said he never thought his father would sell drugs, particularly because he was strict about such things. “I could not even get a tattoo,” he told the court.

The court also heard the testimony of a police inspector who said that the accused received around 2.5 kgs of cannabis resin from his father.

In his testimony, Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara explained that, in April 2004, the police had information that the accused’s father, Anthony Saliba, was involved in drug trafficking and opened an investigation.

However, Anthony Saliba, who was 75 years old in 2004, has since passed away.

On 16 October 2004, the police had received information that Anthony Saliba was going to be involved in a transaction involving drugs and followed his car in Cottonera.

Insp. Ciappara testified that Anthony Saliba was seen driving in the San Nikola area in Cospicua, close to Fgura.

They noted that he met a person driving a silver metallic car and passed on a white bag to another person who, in turn, put it in the trunk of his car, said Insp. Ciappara.

He told the court that the police were given instructions to stop both cars and followed Anthony Saliba who was stopped close to the Workers’ Memorial Monument by the sea front in Msida.

Police also stopped the second car, which was registered in his son’s name – Michael Saliba. Insp. Ciappara said that when the police examined the accused’s car, they found the white plastic bag handed over by Anthony Saliba.

Later when the police stopped the car, they found 10 bars of cannabis weighing around 2.5kgs, which was valued by forensic experts to be worth over e15,116, he added.

Insp. Ciappara told the court that Mr Saliba had always said that he did not know that his father gave him cannabis resin. Furthermore, Mr Saliba told the police that his father was going to exchange some money and gave him a machine to check if the notes were counterfeit.

He testified that two days later, on 18 October, when looking for the counterfeit detector, the police found the white plastic bag containing the cannabis resin. He went on to say that Mr Saliba had always stated that he did not take drugs and denied that the cannabis was his.

The accused told the police that he was a truck-driver and father of two children. He also said that his father, Anthony Saliba, gave him money but did not check what he gave him, or how much.

Insp. Ciappara explained that Anthony Saliba told the accused to drive behind him, after he told him that he was going to exchange Maltese lira into English sterling.

Furthermore, Mr Saliba told the police that his father told him he had given him Lm8,000, and that the counterfeit detector was for the English currency.

In his testimony, the accused told the court that he knew his father was involved in some form of deals, but did not know that it was drug trafficking. He said he thought they were money dealings he was involved in, and was shocked when he found out about the drugs.

The case continues as the trial by jury enters its second day this morning.

Assistant Attorney General Dr Lara Lanfranco is leading the prosecution, while Dr Roberto Montalto and Dr Michela Spiteri are appearing for the defendant.