Norman Bezzina, 55 of Zebbug, was today described as being one of the masterminds of a plan to import 2.2 kilos of cocaine in 2001.
The drug was to be imported through the mail from Canada.
Dr Aaron Bugeja, prosecuting, said at the opening of Mr Bezzina's trial this morning that seven people had been involved in this crime and were undergoing or had undergone proceedings, among whom Mr Bezzina was one of the masterminds.
He said that two parcels were involved. One was intercepted by the police after being found hidden among spare parts for a car. The police replaced it with with an almost identical package for a controlled delivery.
He said there were no fingerprints of the accused on the package.
Mr Bezzina is a former member of the secretariat of then minister Louis Galea and used to live in Canada..
According to the charge sheet the package was mailed to Malta under a false description. Among those also involved in the case was Carmel Cassar, a port worker, Mark Cassar who worked in Customs clearance and Reuben Scicluna who worked in Maltapost. The package was, according to the prosecution, mailed by Mr Bezzina.
The package was picked up from Hamrun post office by Mr Scicluna who had been working in agreement with Mr Cassar. When he picked up the package he phoned Mr Cassar and they were to meet at Luqa.
Mr Scicluna called in a Maltapost van at Luqa and handed the package to Mark Cassar, Mr Cassar's son. who handed him some money.
Mr Cassar then handed the package to another person in a car. The driven was driven by Anthony Gatt, who was also arrested. He had been sent there by Lawrence Gatt, his brother. Lawrence Gatt had been instructed to pick up the package by Mr Bezzina.
The whole operation was monitored by the police.
Dr Bugeja said it was clear that Mr Bezzina was instrumental in the whole operation and had also made arrangements for a PO Box. He had paid a Lm3,000 (€6,988) to Simon Xuereb, whose PO box was used for the purpose.
Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Harrison said the police had carried out a search in Anthony Gatt's residence but nothing was found. A search in the house of Mr Cassar revealed a notice for the collection of the package. A search in Mr Xuereb's house reveals some €5,825 euros while a search in Mr Bezzina's house in Malta revealed a telephone number and address of another man involved in the operation, Manuel Gauci.
Mr Bezzina was filmed handing a paper to Lawrence Gatt. When initially interviewed, however, Mr Bezzina initially meeting Mr Gatt until he was shown video evidence.
Mr Xuereb when confronted by the video admitted his involvement, saying that a week before collecting the sewcond package, he colelcted a second package from Mr Gatt and gave it to Mr Bezzina.
At this stage the trial was interrupted after prosecutor Aaron Bugeja felt ill.