Attorney General insists on deposit in heroin trafficking case

A 29-year-old man, who last week was granted bail after he was charged with heroin trafficking, was ordered to deposit Lm1,000 in court after the Attorney General filed an application claiming that a personal guarantee did not constitute a sufficient deterrent against escape.

Mario Agius, of Ghaxaq, was arraigned last Thursday and pleaded guilty to trafficking in heroin and to the possession of cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera appointed a probation officer to compile a pre-sentencing report on Mr Agius and put off the case for judgment. Till then, she granted him bail on condition he did not leave his home and bound him against a personal guarantee of Lm2,000.

But the Attorney General filed an application saying that whereas he appreciated that in certain cases it was appropriate to grant a person bail against tight conditions, such as not leaving home without permission, he felt it was not appropriate that a person would only be bound by a personal guarantee and that no financial deposit was imposed.

If the accused were to escape from Malta, the Attorney General added, there would not be an immediate sanction as would be the case if a deposit were to be confiscated by the court.

Police Inspector Pierre Grech prosecuted.

Lawyer Franco Debono was defence counsel.