Man jailed 25 years over conspiracy to import cannabis from Tunisia 12 years ago

Ahmed el Fadalli Enan has been found guilty of complicity in the attempted importation of 50kg of cannabis from Tunisia in 2010 and sentenced to 25 years in jail.

The Egyptian national from Fgura was also fined €40,000 after a jury delivered a 7-2 verdict late on Friday night after five hours of deliberation.

Earlier this week, jurors heard former footballer Tano Farrugia testify how Enan had sent him to Tunisia to collect the drugs from a hotel. Farrugia was unaware that Tunisian police had found out about the plot and arrested him.

Farrugia was sentenced in Tunisia to imprisonment for 20 years but was released early in 2013, following an amnesty granted by the Tunisian president as the country marked two years from the Arab spring revolution.

Farrugia told jurors in Malta that he never saw a cent of the €15,000 promised to him by Enan.

Jurors heard prosecutors describe Enan as the “head of the pyramid” of the plan to import 100kg of cannabis into Malta in two shipments.

Enan was eventually reported to the police in Malta by Farrugia’s brother. Enan was arrested on 13 January 2010 after a police raid on his home discovered receipts for money transfers sent abroad, which were thought to be connected to the plan. He was charged the next day.

The prosecution also told the jury that the Tunisian police had found receipts indicating that the person who delivered the drugs to Farrugia in Tunisia had been paid through a money transfer sent by the accused.

Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera presided over the case. Lawyers Kevin Valletta and Godwin Cini prosecuted on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General. Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace was defence counsel.