A Libyan who had been jailed for 15 years and fined Lm15,000 for dealing in heroin and cannabis had his punishment reduced on appeal. In October 2005, jurors returned a 6-3 verdict, finding Mahmud Ali Amber guilty of conspiring to deal in the drugs, importing heroin and trafficking in cannabis.

Mr Amber had been charged with dealing in the drugs and importing heroin on April 10, 2000, and January 31, 2001, but jurors only found him guilty in the case of the January incident.

Mr Amber filed an appeal, arguing that jurors could not have found him guilty of dealing in drugs and importing heroin.

According to law, the evidence of an accomplice was to be corroborated by circumstantial evidence. He claimed that jurors had relied on the evidence of an accomplice when they found him guilty of dealing and importing the drugs (in January 2001) and that evidence had not been corroborated as required by law.

Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, Mr Justice David Scicluna and Mr Justice Joseph Micallef, sitting in the Court of Criminal Appeal, upheld this ground of appeal.

They cleared Mr Amber of dealing in drugs and importing the heroin but confirmed the part where he was found guilty of trafficking in cannabis.

The appeal court therefore reduced his jail term to 10 years and his fine to Lm10,000.

Lawyer Emmanuel Mallia was defence counsel.