Accused says he was photographed answering nature's call

A man standing trial charged with the possession of 953 ecstasy pills yesterday told jurors that police photographs, showing him near a heap of rubble and gravel in his quarry, were taken when he was answering a call of nature and he did not know anything about drugs found hidden there.

Joseph Camilleri was testifying in the trial by jury where he is pleading not guilty to the possession of ecstasy pills in circumstances denoting they were not for his personal use on and before December 27, 2000.

The prosecution is claiming that Mr Camilleri hid the pills in his quarry, situated in Qrendi, with the intention to traffic in the drug.

Jurors on Monday heard Police Superintendent Neil Harrison explain how police officers had been informed that drugs were hidden in the quarry. On December 24, 2000, police officers hiding in an abandoned room close to the quarry took photographs of Mr Camilleri bending over near a heap of rubble and gravel holding something in his hand.

On December 27 the police moved in, arrested Mr Camilleri and Victor Magri, who was with him, and found a bag containing the drugs hidden in the heap. Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, presiding over the trial, yesterday heard Mr Camilleri explain that he got to know Mr Magri about two years before their arrest through a football club.

Mr Magri knew he was interested in buying a quarry and offered to lend him money. However, the man demanded high interest rates and Mr Camilleri turned down the offer.

Then, some time later, Mr Camilleri needed to borrow money and Mr Magri provided him with Lm5,000 which he had obtained from a third person. At the time of their arrest Mr Camilleri owed Mr Magri Lm2,000 and Lm500 in interest.

Mr Camilleri recalled that on Christmas Eve 2000 he had gone to the quarry with an Arab man and, while there, he had to answer a call of nature and so he went into a room, switched on the generator and took some toilet paper. In fact, he said, the photos taken by the police showed him doing just that.

Under cross examination, Assistant Attorney General Anthony Barbara asked Mr Camilleri to explain why he had not mentioned this when he released a statement on December 28, 2000. Dr Barbara also asked why, in his statement, he had said he had not gone anywhere near the quarry between December 21 and 26 and now he was saying he was there on December 24 and had even answered a call of nature while there.

Mr Camilleri explained that he had nothing to hide and that not mentioning this episode must have been a mistake on his part.

"I had nothing to hide. If I did I wouldn't have answered the questions put to me by the police after I was cautioned. Neither would I have signed my statement. It could be I made a mistake but it was a genuine one," Mr Camilleri said.

He insisted that when the photographs were taken he had been answering a call of nature and what police officers saw in his hand was in fact toilet paper. "When I was questioned I was under pressure but I had nothing to hide. I had no reason to sell drugs as I had my own quarry."

He said there were 18 storeys between the abandoned room and the bottom of the quarry and the police could have easily been mistaken when they testified they had seen him place something in the heap of gravel.

The trial continues.

Lawyers Chris Cardona and Chris Soler are appearing for Mr Camilleri.