A jury has reached its verdict in the trial of three men accused of drug trafficking, delivering guilty verdicts for two of the accused while acquitting the third.
Following deliberations, the jury found Rio Micallef guilty of conspiring to traffic drugs with a vote of six to three. He was also convicted of selling ecstasy and possessing ecstasy in circumstances that denoted intent to distribute, with seven jurors voting in favor and two against on both counts.
David Tabone was similarly found guilty of conspiring to traffic drugs, with the same six-to-three vote split. However, he was acquitted on the remaining charges. Darren James Vella, the third accused, was found not guilty of conspiracy to traffic drugs by an eight-to-one vote.
The trial revolved around an alleged ecstasy trafficking operation dating back to 2008. The prosecution, led by lawyers Godwin Cini, Kevin Valletta, and Danica Vella from the Attorney General's Office, relied heavily on digital evidence obtained from the accused's mobile phones.
According to the prosecution, data extracted from the defendants' mobile devices provided a "bible of evidence," demonstrating their involvement in the illegal trade.
The call logs and messages revealed a high volume of communication between Micallef, Tabone, and Vella in the days leading up to the drug deal, as well as on the night of the arrests.
Messages sent to and from Tabone's phone reportedly contained references to the illicit transaction, including one that read, "I need ten," and another asking about pricing.
The prosecution also emphasised Rio Micallef's behavior at the time of his arrest, stating that he attempted to flee upon spotting the police.
Additional physical evidence included a black bag containing ecstasy pills and a substantial amount of cash, as well as an electronic scale with traces of ecstasy found in Tabone's possession.
Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, representing David Tabone, pointed to the extensive delay in bringing the case to trial, questioning the fairness of his client having to suffer such prolonged legal proceedings. He insisted that his client was innocent of all charges.
Similarly, José Herrera, defending Rio Micallef, argued that the evidence did not conclusively link his client to drug trafficking, warning that convicting an innocent person would be an unforgivable miscarriage of justice.
After the verdicts were delivered, both defense teams requested the court to consider leniency in sentencing for their clients. The jury was then tasked with deciding on the matter of recidivism, with the prosecution presenting Micallef's criminal record as an aggravating factor.
Judge Edwina Grima explained to the jurors that they were not allowed to know of prior convictions before reaching their verdicts, but that this information could now impact sentencing.
Prosecutors Kevin Valletta, Godwin Cini, and Danica Vella represented the Attorney General's Office.
David Tabone was represented by lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri, while José Herrera and Alex Scerri Herrera represented Rio Micallef. Darren James Vella was assisted by lawyers Michael Sciriha and Matthew Xuereb.