Marvin Debono, one of four men charged with conspiring to import cannabis, today filed a constitutional application claiming breach of human rights on the right for legal assistance during investigations and the wide discretionary powers of the Attorney General.

Mr Debono was arrested after the police had swooped on a yacht, called the Jolly Roger, in December 2008, after receiving information about a place where "drugs" were meant be dropped off.

But the 30 kilogrammes of cannabis the men had allegedly conspired to import had turned out to be soap.

In his application, signed by Franco Debono, Arthur Azzopardi and Marion Camilleri, Mr Debono claimed he was not provided with legal assistance when he was arrested and investigated.

He also claimed that the AG’s discretionary powers to decide whether to send a case to a magistrate or a judge, where the punishment would be substantially higher, were unconstitutional.

Mr Debono requested the court to declare that his human rights had been breached and to give an effective remedy.