Nine years later, Porporina’s wife found guilty of hospital drug smuggle attempt

37 year old Helen Bugeja, wife of career criminal Alfred Bugeja , known as “il-Porporina”, was this afternoon handed a 6 month suspended sentence for attempting to smuggle drugs into a prohibited place while visiting her husband in St. Michael’s Ward at St. Luke’s Hospital.

The incident took place in  September 2005.

In her statement to the police, Bugeja confirmed that she had gone to visit her husband but claimed the drugs were for her personal use.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, after hearing the prosecution’s evidence, remarked that she believed that the drugs were indeed for Bugeja’s personal use, referring to evidence which indicated that the first thing Bugeja did when she arrived at the ward was ask for a locker for her bag.

However, noted the magistrate, the accused knew where she was heading and that the drugs she had bought were not permitted in the ward and in spite of this, instead of taking them home or buying them after her visit was completed, she chose to keep them on her person whilst visiting a prisoner.

Bugeja was found guilty of simple possession of heroin and Dihydrocodeine and of attempting to smuggle prohibited objects into prison. She was found not guilty of being in possession of Diazepam and Bromazepam.

In sentencing, the magistrate took into account the accused’s criminal record which includes four convictions for drug offences in 1993 and handed down a 6 month sentence suspended for two years.