A young man who is suspected to have worked for alleged drug kingpin Jordan Azzopardi, was granted bail on Monday after pleading not guilty to drug-related charges.

Jordan Azzopardi.

Luke Farrugia, 24, from Zabbar, unemployed, pleaded not guilty to procuring cocaine and heroin, as well as the possession of cocaine and cannabis in the months preceding his arrest last month. 

He was also charged with having inflicted grievous injuries upon a former cocaine-hooked chef, who had testified in the case against Jordan Azzopardi how he was beaten up by the alleged drug lord and two of his men.

READ: Cocaine-hooked chef recalls beating by Jordan Azzopardi and his henchmen

Mr Farrugia was also charged with being a recidivist.

Prosecuting Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca told the court that Mr Farrugia was arrested on April 18 and had been granted police bail pending the outcome of analysis of DNA lifted from the scenes targeted by the Drugs Squad in the anti-drug operation leading up to the arrest of Jordan Azzopardi.

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A request for bail on Monday was, however, objected to by the prosecution since a civilian witness still had to testify.

Defence lawyer Roberto Montalto countered that there must be a real fear of tampering with evidence for bail to be refused. Mentioning a civilian witness who was still to testify, was not a sufficient ground to deny bail.

Moreover, the accused, who was also awaiting bail in separate proceedings, had cooperated fully and had not hindered the investigations, Dr Montalto continued.

Magistrate Charmaine Galea upheld the bail request, granting bail against a deposit of €1000, a personal guarantee of €10,000, a curfew between 11pm and 6am and an order to sign the bail book three times weekly.