Eight persons acquitted over alleged 19-man drug conspiracy

Eight individuals allegedly involved in a plot to smuggle a substantial amount of drugs into Malta some 17 years ago, were acquitted on the basis of lack of evidence linking them to the conspiracy.
Yvette Muscat, 53, of Iklin, Trudy Testa, 43, of Mqabba, Pierre Camilleri, 36, of St Paul's Bay, Carmen Armeni, 57, of Mqabba, Sylvana Bugeja, 45, of G"arg"ur, Juma Said Karfoosh, 51, of "amrun, Suzanne Abela, 51, of Sliema and Albert Bugeja, 45, of G"ira had been arraigned in November 2002, in a party of 19 persons all allegedly involved in a drug-trafficking racket coordinated from Corradino where four of the persons charged were at the time serving time behind bars.
These were Emanuel Camilleri, known as '"Leli l-Bully', Charles Muscat, '"Il-Pips', Alfred Bugeja, '"il-Porporina', and Mario Camilleri, '"l-Imnie"ru', the latter killed alongside his son Mario Jr in a double murder back in 2013.
At a later stage, following a request for a separation of proceedings, these eight coaccused were prosecuted separately over accusations issued in October 2009.
The case dated back to 2001 when the Drugs Squad had been tipped off about a plot, allegedly coordinated by a number of Corradino inmates...

Full story