A Nigerian woman and a man from Safi appeared in court yesterday charged with conspiring to import and deal in cocaine.

Rachael Fred, 29, who lives in Italy, was arrested on her arrival in Malta on the Catamaran from Pozzallo on Saturday night after three kilos of a substance believed to be cocaine was found in a false bottom in her suitcase.

Before Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia, Ms Fred denied the charges brought against her. No request for bail was made and she was remanded in custody.

In a separate arraignment, the police charged 35-year-old Christopher Polidano, from Safi. The court heard how Mr Polidano was arrested after the police organised a controlled delivery to pin down the consignee.

When the police tried to stop the man, he entered a car and tried to escape by driving on the pavement, hitting several parked cars in the process. He stopped after crashing into an electricity pole.

He appeared in court sporting several facial injuries, including a black eye and bruises to his face.

Mr Polidano tried to escape by driving on the pavement. He stopped after crashing into a utility pole

His arraignment took longer than expected because defence counsel Franco Debono complained that the Attorney General’s letter to prosecute – required for any drug offence – mentioned the wrong law.

When this was pointed out in court, with Dr Debono requesting his client’s immediate release as the proceedings were null, Police Inspector Gabriel Micallef asked to be given time to consult the AG’s office.

When the sitting resumed some 20 minutes later, the police inspector ran into court, gasping for breath and with the new court document in hand, admitting the mistake.

Magistrate Farrugia accepted the document with the mistake but refused Dr Debono’s request for the new document to be removed from the acts of the case.

She upheld Mr Polidano’s request for bail, against a deposit of €10,000 and a €20,000 personal guarantee.