A Sicilian man was charged with trafficking in cocaine on New Year's Eve while two men, also from Sicily, admitted to the simple possession of the drug.

Marco Accetti, 28, pleaded not guilty to trafficking in cocaine and the possession of the drug with the intent to sell on Tuesday. He was remanded in police custody.

Another two men - 27-year-olds Gaetano Di Mauro and Giuseppe Marco Rizzo - admitted to the possession of cocaine and were each conditionally discharged for a year.

Mr Rizzo took the witness stand in the arraignment of Mr Accetti and said that it was Mr Accetti who had given him the cocaine found in his possession - He was arrested by police on New Year's Eve in a St Julian's bar.

He said he arrived in Malta on Monday night via Catamaran and Mr Accetti picked him up from the port. That night he slept at Mr Accetti's Sliema apartment. He asked Mr Accetti if he knew from where he could get some drugs and Mr Accetti gave him some cocaine for his personal use, the witness said.

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