A retired customs officer was arraigned in court this afternoon for allegedly accepting a box of unpalatably sweet sugary drinks in return for allowing a Libyan man access to a restricted area of the airport cargo section in 2013.

Philip Grech, 61 of Żebbuġ, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech.

Prosecuting officer Jonathan Ferris told the court how, on September 25, 2013, Jamal Mesmeh Basher Al Gazali was spotted in the restricted area near a luggage conveyor belt.

The man was seen on CCTV in the act of taking several boxes from the conveyor belt. He was not challenged by the customs officer on duty, who happened to be Mr Grech.

CCTV footage showed the accused helping the Libyan man push a trolley containing the boxes. Insp. Ferris calculated 12 boxes to have been loaded on the trolley. However, Mr Al Gazali was seen leaving the customs zone with 11.

The missing box had been found in Mr Grech’s office, the inspector said, adding that the accused had told him the sugary drinks tasted awful and were used during Ramadan to supplement calorific intake.

Asked why he sold himself so cheaply, Mr Grech allegedly replied that he accepted the box as a form of payment.

Lawyer Stefano Filletti, appearing for the accused, questioned why a man would accept a bribe and then leave the proceeds lying around in plain sight. The lawyer argued that the box had been left there by mistake and the accused had simply picked it up and placed it on the officer's desk.

On the request of the prosecution, the court appointed a technical expert to extract stills from the CCTV footage, which will be exhibited during the next sitting. The case continues in March.