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

Marco Accetti, 28, pleaded not guilty to trafficking in cocaine and to possessing the drug with the intent to sell it. He was denied bail.

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

After being sentenced, Mr Rizzo took the witness stand against Mr Accetti and pointed him out as the person from whom he had obtained the drugs.

Mr Rizzo said he arrived in Malta on Monday night on the catamaran from Sicily and Mr Accetti picked him up from the port.

That night, he slept at Mr Accetti’s apartment in Sliema.

He said he asked Mr Accetti if he knew from where he could get some drugs and Mr Accetti gave him cocaine for his personal use.

Mr Rizzo said he was arrested in a St Julian’s bar on New Year’s Eve after the police found him to be in the possession of a sachet of cocaine.

Police Inspector Gabriel Micallef prosecuted while lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar represented the accused.