A man who was jailed for nine years and fined €25,000 for trafficking cocaine and heroin in 2007 has filed an appeal arguing the judgment was discriminatory.

Duncan Scerri, 38, of Salina, was sentenced alongside Walid Laouini, a 35-year-old Tunisian who lives in St Paul’s Bay. Mr Laouini was sentenced for eight years and fined €20,000.

They pleaded guilty rather than stand trial by jury.

In the appeal, Mr Scerri’s lawyer, Edward Gatt, argued that when the judgment was handed down, all parties, including the prosecution, were surprised, especially as there had been plea bargaining by his client. Mr Laouini had not and decided to leave it up to the court to decide.

It had been agreed by all parties that both men had the same involvement, yet, Mr Laouini had been given a lighter punishment. Justice was not meted out and the reasoning behind plea bargaining was thrown out of the window, Dr Gatt argued.

He asked the Criminal Court of Appeal to overturn the judgment and hand down a lighter punishment.