A man has been sentenced to 24 years effective imprisonment, and ordered to pay a €35,000 fine after he was found guilty by a jury of aggravated cannabis possession and association for the purpose of trafficking.

The man had also admitted to the possession of cocaine after jurors were selected.

Around eight years ago, Austin Mallia allegedly became involved with a group suspected of planning to import cannabis into Malta. Police surveillance had initially targeted Michele Artale, who arrived in the country by catamaran and proceeded directly to a residence in Ħamrun. The following day, officers observed another individual, later identified as Mallia, arriving by car and entering the same property.

According to the prosecution, the plan was for Mallia and Artale to meet a third man, Sandro Lo Presti, and use Mallia's van to transport the cannabis.

Prosecutors claimed that Artale instructed Mallia to wait at the Boċċi Club car park in Lija before directing him to a logistics warehouse in Ta' Qali to meet Lo Presti. Police maintained surveillance as Mallia drove to Ta' Qali, entered the warehouse yard, and later exited with a box loaded into his van.

Security camera footage subsequently showed Mallia and Lo Presti transferring two boxes into Lo Presti's vehicle before departing and returning to Ħamrun. Officers intervened as the men were unloading the packages, which were concealed within boxes of white goods, and carried out a search of the Ħamrun apartment.

The search revealed multiple packages containing what appeared to be cannabis. A court-appointed expert later confirmed the substance to be cannabis, weighing 50.7 kilograms with an approximate purity of 11 per cent and an estimated street value exceeding €500,000.

In its submissions, defence lawyers Joe Giglio and Matteo Giglio stated Austin Mallia's role in the case was not comparable to that of the other accused, Lo Presti and Artale, however prosecutor Godwin Cini maintained that the intention to traffic 50.7 kilograms of cannabis along with the fact that the accused formed part of an association of persons was enough to constitute a hefty sentence.

A Facebook post published by Isabel Mallia, the accused's sister, was in the limelight in these proceedings.

The post, which has since been removed, allegedly voiced disappointment with the court and the Maltese judicial system, accusing the prosecution of corruption and of attempting to influence jurors. In court, the claims were characterised as "very serious", where an investigation was subsequently opened.

On Thursday morning, Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera sentenced Austin Mallia to a heavy prison term of 24 years, along with a €35,000 fine. He was also ordered to pay €11,952.20 in court fees.

Any drugs connected to the case were ordered to be destroyed.

Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera handed down the sentence.

The prosecution was led by Godwin Cini, Kevin Valletta and Danika Vella on behalf of the Attorney General.

Mallia was represented by lawyers Joe Giglio and Mattea Giglio.