The Maltese man currently facing drug trafficking charges following a massive 550kg haul of cannabis had apparently been dining at a St Julian’s restaurant when one of his two co-accused deposited a 20kg bagful of cannabis inside his car.

This information was revealed in court today as proceedings continued against Rudolph Said, 35, from Fgura, Angelo Penna, 60, and Cristoforo Paratore, 42, both from Catania.

All three are believed to form part of a drug trafficking and money laundering racket which was uncovered after a surveillance operation in St Julian’s on the night between last Wednesday and Thursday.

The man opened the driver’s door and flung the bag inside, where it landed behind the passenger seat

One of the surveillance officers recounted on the witness stand that he had been assigned to keep a lookout for Mr Said, whom he had seen in a photo, in the area close to the Millennium Chapel.

At one point, a white Peugeot drove up. Two men got out, one of them Mr Said – whom the officer also identified in court. They both entered a nearby restaurant where they sat at a table with three other persons.

While keeping a watch on his target, the officer observed, some 25 metres, away a tall man, wearing a light-coloured jacket, cap and glasses leaving the restaurant and going twice around the block before walking away, the court heard.

This appeared to be the man who had arrived in the Peugeot with Mr Said, although the officer could not tell which of the two had been driving at the time.

Asked by the defence whether he had asked any of his colleagues to follow this unidentified man, the officer replied that at the time he was concentrating on Mr Said while relaying his observations to his superiors over the phone.

At one point from his viewpoint, the officer observed another man, identified in court as Mr Penna, who approached the Peugeot with a heavy-looking black hold-all slung over his shoulder. The man opened the driver’s door and flung the bag inside, where it landed behind the passenger seat which was slightly tilted forward. He then walked away.

A few minutes later, Mr Said left the restaurant, got into the Peugeot and was just about to turn the key when the police officer intervened, holding open the car door and blocking the man’s attempt to drive off.

After identifying himself as a police office, Mr Said had allegedly replied calmly “Really!” and did not resist arrest.

At the end of today’s sitting, the defence team assisting Mr Said made submissions on bail, pointing out that all the police officers involved in the case had now testified and that the arrested man had strong family ties, as proved by the presence of family members inside the courtroom.

Lawyer Franco Debono argued that the court needed to balance the interests of justice against the rights of the arrested person. Lawyer Roberto Montalto added that on the basis of facts revealed so far, it was clear that someone else had placed the bag inside his car.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Neville Camilleri, declared that it would deliver the decree on bail in respect of Mr Said, later today or tomorrow in chambers.

Inspector Kevin Pulis prosecuted, while apart from Dr Montalto and Dr Debono, Mario Mifsud assisted Mr Said. Lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran was counsel to Mr Penna and Mr Paratore.