Two men accused of trafficking 4kg of cannabis from Sicily to Malta

After spending a total of two months in preventative custody, two men have been granted bail after they were found with 4kg of cannabis while on a ferry from Sicily.

The incident took place on 15 September, when Rita Scicluna, 41 from Luqa, and 27-year-old Osaro Osarenkhoe, 27 from Nigeria, were both on the ferry from Sicily to Malta. Ms Scicluna’s husband, Nicholas Obaseki, 28 from Nigeria, was awaiting their arrival from outside the ferry terminal in Malta.

It was said that a police investigation into the dealings of all three individuals had been underway for some time. It was an off-duty officer in Sicily who tipped off the police in Malta, which led to the arrest.

Sniffer dogs brought on site found two packets of cannabis in a search of the vehicle that Ms Scicluna was driving. Mr Osarenkhoe was in the passenger seat.

Ms Scicluna was granted bail upon first request due to the fact that she had a young child at home to look after. The courts twice refused requests for bail, until 2 November when Magistrate Neville Camilleri upheld the request for bail against a deposit of €5,000 and a personal guarantee of €25,000.

All three had denied charges of trafficking.

Lawyer Albert Zerafa is defending Ms Scicluna and Mr Obaseki. Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Muscat are appearing for Mr Osarenkhoe.