A Turkish woman serving time in prison after she was found guilty of importing heroin into Malta told the court yesterday she had met Mario Borg twice on the island, had given him drugs once but was caught by the police the second time she attempted to do so.
Kucuk Melek was testifying in Mr Borg's trial by jury. Mr Borg, 32, of Buġibba stands charged with importation of heroin and conspiring to import drugs. He is pleading not guilty to the charges.
Ms Melek told jurors that Rocky, a friend of hers from Turkey, asked her to take the drugs to Malta.
"I knew Rocky for five years and he offered to pay for my flight to Malta so that I could bring the drugs. I talked it over with Nilgun (another drug courier) and she said she was scared. We swallowed the capsules and left for Malta. I threw up in the plane and I flushed capsules down the drain".
After arriving in Malta, Nilgun met Mr Borg outside a hotel and he gave her laxatives and food. "We relieved ourselves of the capsules about a day later. I was sick again.
"Rocky from Turkey phoned and told me to take the capsules to Mr Borg".
She said she saw Mr Borg in a white car and he knew her name. "He told me he was a friend of Rocky and he gave me $1,000. The second time we came to Malta, we were given $700 and €300 each".
Pointing at Mr Borg, she said he was the person who had accepted the delivery of the drugs. "I recognised him in the police line up and I will never forget his face," she said.
Defence Lawyer Roberto Montalto said there was reasonable doubt in this case as there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Borg helped to import the drug.
In a heated exchange, prosecutor Anthony Barbara said the defence had no leg to stand on.
"Common sense tells us that these two Turkish women were used to bring this drug to Malta. These women brought the drugs to Malta because someone here wanted the drugs and that person was Mr Borg," Dr Barbara said.
Mr Justice Galea Debono, who is presiding over the trial, started his address to the jurors and they are expected to start deliberating today.