Two men were yesterday charged over a haul of two kilograms of cannabis found by Drug Squad police in a garage in Tarxien at the weekend.

The court heard Wayne Grima, 31, from Paola, agreed to collect and keep the consignment for the other accused, Tony Curmi, 32, from Tarxien.

Both men denied the charges brought against them in front of Magistrate Carol Peralta.

Mr Grima was charged with conspiracy to traffic cannabis and possessing the drug in quantities denoting that it was not for his personal use.

There was no evidence to prove that a bag of white powder found was, in fact, cocaine

Mr Curmi was charged with conspiracy to deal in cannabis as well as with cannabis trafficking. The two were arraigned separately. Mr Grima is a “vulnerable witness” and has accepted to testify against Mr Curmi in his criminal case.

Mr Grima was granted bail against a deposit of €500 and a €4,500 personal guarantee.

Magistrate Peralta denied Mr Curmi’s request for bail and he was remanded in custody.

Police Inspector Herman Mula prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Angie Muscat appeared for Mr Grima while lawyer Noel Cutajar appeared for Mr Curmi.

Meanwhile, a man was cleared of cocaine possession with intent to traffic after a magistrate ruled that there was no evidence to prove that the white power found was, in fact, the drug.

The prosecution had failed to prove that Francis Formosa, 42, from St Paul’s Bay, was in possession of cocaine.

The court noted that the prosecution had not requested tests on the powder to prove it was cocaine.

The court heard Mr Formosa had been arrested in February 2007 after a car that he was a passenger in was stopped by a police patrol car close to Telgħa t’Alla w Ommu near Naxxar.

The police said that when they stopped the car, they saw a package being thrown out through the passenger window.

A bag containing white powder was collected by officers and the two men in the car were arrested.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras cleared Mr Formosa of the charges.