Father of two acquitted of drug trafficking charges

A man who blamed his deceased father for giving him two and a half kilogrammes of cannabis without his knowledge yesterday walked free at the end of a two-day trial by jury.

Francis Michael Stuart Saliba, 35, of Cospicua was charged with possession and trafficking of cannabis on October 16, 2004.

Mr Saliba was found not guilty by six votes to three.

As the verdict was read out, Mr Saliba could hardly contain his tears of joy. His wife, sitting in the public gallery, was also in tears of relief on hearing the good news.

During the trial, which started on Monday and was presided over by Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, Mr Saliba told the jurors: "If I knew my father was selling drugs I would have told the authorities myself. I have never thought this about my father. Although he was 76 he was more like an 18-year-old".

Testifying, Senior Police Inspector Norbert Ciappara told the court that officers had seen Anthony Saliba hand his son, the accused, a plastic bag in the street. On stopping Mr Saliba, they found two and a half kilogrammes of cannabis in a plastic bag in his car. Mr Saliba told officers he thought the bag contained money as his father had wanted to exchange a large amount of money on the black market.

Testifying on Monday afternoon, Mr Saliba, a father of two, said he was not a drug user. His father was "very strict when it came to these things. I could not even get a tattoo".

That is why he was shocked when the police found the drugs in the plastic bag that his father had given him.

"I knew my father was involved in wheeling and dealing but never drugs. I was really shocked when they found the drugs. I was not expecting it. I honestly thought it was money," he told the jurors.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto - who formed the defence team with lawyer Michela Spiteri - told jurors no other drugs or drug paraphernalia were found on the accused or at his home.

On leaving the court room, Mr Saliba shook hands with Mr Ciappara and with prosecuting officer Lara Lanfranco from the Attorney General's Office.

Thanking his lawyers heartily, Mr Saliba left the court a free man.