Updated: Bastjan Dalli denied bail

Contractor Bastjan Dalli has been denied bail in the case were he stands charged with conspiring to import 30 kilogrammes of cannabis .

Mr Dalli was arrested a day following a drug squad operation in the limits of Rabat which yielded 30 kilogrammes of green soap, originally thought to be cannabis.

The soap was brought in from Libya on board a yacht called the Jolly Roger on December 27 at about 8 p.m.

Police Superintendent Neil Harrison told the Courts that one of four men charged earlier had said that one of the cars they had used was owned by a subsidiary company belonging to Mr Dalli. The three 10 kilogramme packets of "cannabis" were found in this car.

Mr Dalli was arrested, interrogated and given bail but he breached bail conditions when he went to Libya.

He was rearrested and arraigned on his return.

Godfrey Scicluna, head of the Security Service, testified that the service had recorded over 300 phone call between Sebastian Dalli and Rupert Busuttil, Carmelo Borg, Marvin Debono and Paul Azzopardi.

Mr Busuttil, Mr Borg, Mr Debono, and Mr Azzopardi, – were arraigned in connection with the crime after the police said they were caught leaving the scene in two cars.