A former commercial director of Maltacom, Richard Attard, 61, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail and fined €5,000 after being convicted of being in aggravated possession of  ecstasy and cocaine.

Police Constable Trevor Cassar Mallia told the court that following the granting of a search warrant, the police in July 2007 stopped Mr Attard while he was walking towards his car in Gharghur.

The police found drugs in his car and later in his house and garage as well as some €3,300 in cash. In all the police found 166 grams of cocaine and 400 ecstasy pills.

In his police statement, Mr Attard admitted to sharing the drugs he had bought.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman said she could not understand the defence argument that Mr Attard was a hoarder, when he had hidden the drugs in packets in various parts of his property and had shared it with his friends.

Furthermore, his SMS messages were more than indicative of the type of business he was involved in.

His notebook also left no doubt of the activities he was involved in.

Mr Attard has filed an appeal.