Bag containing over €9,000 in cash seized during arrest of alleged drug traffickers never analysed for fingerprints

A black bag containing €9,300 in cash and electronic weighing scales which allegedly belonged to individuals facing drug trafficking charges were never sent for fingerprint analysis, a court heard on Wednesday.

The court was also told that after being tested, no fingerprints were discovered on paper and plastic bags containing 1,940 ecstasy pills found under a Fiat van at the Birkirkara garage site where searches by the police were carried out.

The trial of Rio Micallef from Marsa, David Tabone from Naxxar, and Darren James Vella from Birkirkara, accused of multiple counts of drug trafficking, entered its third day on Wednesday. All three have denied charges brought against them.

Testifying on Wednesday, forensic expert and police officer Patrick Farrugia confirmed

the ecstasy pills were stored inside plastic bags placed within a paper bag.

These were emptied and handed over for forensic testing, but no fingerprints were detected.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Jacob Magri questioned Farrugia on whether he could have also tested the electronic weighing scales for fingerprints. The forensic expert confirmed this was possible, and explained that he could have conducted the necessary tests if the scales had been sent to the testing laboratory.

Former police sergeant Johan Micallef also testified via video conference.

Before the jurors entered the courtroom, Madam Justice Grima reminded Micallef on what he was permitted to testify about, since certain evidence was ruled inadmissible during the preliminary proceedings of the case and could not be mentioned to the jury.

Micallef told the court that the arrests followed a tip-off received by then-assistant commissioner Neil Harrison.

Micallef recounted that Rio Micallef and David Tabone stopped their cars at the entrance of a garage complex on Old Church Street in Birkirkara, as recounted by previous witnesses.

Upon spotting him, Rio Micallef immediately attempted to flee the scene. He recounted how he yelled at the accuses and told him to stop or he would be forced to shoot.

The court also heard from the witness that then-police constable Carmen Gauci, who had told the court that she could not recall events due to memory loss, had handed him the bag that Tabone had in his possession at the time of his arrest.

She had also shown him its contents, which included the cash and a set of electronic scales which were not submitted for testing. After looking at it, he handed it back to Gauci.

He also confirmed he was not present during an arrest and body search of David Tabone.

The trial by jury will resume on 27 March.

Prosecutors Godwin Cini, Danika Vella, and Kevin Valletta are leading the case.

Defence lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri represented David Tabone, José Herrera and Alex Scerri Herrera represented Rio Micallef, while Matthew Xuereb and Michael Sciriha are defending Darren James Vella.

The trial is being presided over by Madam Justice Edwina Grima.