A police constable told a court this morning how a prisoner's mother admitted to the police that she had handed a package with drugs to an inmate inside a court room last month.
WPC Louise Cuschieri said Rita Zammit made the admission during a body search in the court bathrooms soon after she was seen handing something to prisoner Jason Decelis, who was waiting for his case to be heard before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras on January 14.
She was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Mr Decelis, who stands charged with dealing in drugs at the law courts. He is pleading not guilty to the possession of cocaine and heroin with the intent to sell them at the Corradino Correctional Facility.
Mr Decelis, 37, is currently serving time over the death of 18-year-old Rachel Bowdler who overdosed in 2001 and was then dumped in a field in Mgarr.
Ms Zammit, 57, from St Paul's Bay, is facing separate criminal proceedings where she stands charged with trafficking in the drugs by allegedly giving them to Mr Decelis.
Police Inspector Nikolai Sant told Magistrate Ian Farrugia that soon after police officers saw the woman passing something to Mr Decelis, a search was carried out in the magistrate's chamber and the police found a capsule with five grams of heroin, 10 grams of cocaine and 99 steroids.
He said Police Inspector Fabian Fleri and Police Sergeant Andrew St John saw Ms Zammit giving Mr Decelis something.
PS St John told the court that he was sitting in the courtroom waiting to testify in another drugs case when Mr Decelis walked in and sat at the back of the courtroom. Seconds later, Ms Zammit walked in and sat next to Mr Decelis. He heard her asking him who he was and then saw her getting something out of her handbag and placing it inside Mr Decelis's jacket.
PC Kevin Curmi also testified how me saw Ms Zammit acting suspiciously around Mr Decelis and another inmate, Stephen Nappa. He said he heard Ms Zammit asking Mr Nappa who he was.
Under cross examination, WPC Cuschieri said Ms Zammit, whose son, Jonathan Zammit, is currently serving a prison sentence, did not tell her whether there had been an agreement with Mr Decelis over the drug delivery.
The case continues.
Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Kris Busietta appeared for Mr Decelis who, together with his parents Carmel and Conċetta, had been jailed in 2006 after they were found guilty of murder by omission by failing to take Ms Bowdler to hospital when she suffered an overdose.