From: Independent.com.mt
Patrick Pace, 49 from Birkirkara, pleaded not guilty to charges relating to being an accomplice in the theft of 1050 master case cigarettes containing 10,500,000 cigarettes and corrupting an official.
In September, in a separate court case, the court ruled that there’s enough evidence to place four Freeport workers, accused of stealing the shipping container loaded with contraband cigarettes under a bill of indictment. The four are pleading not guilty to charges relating to the theft of a shipping container holding 10.5 million cigarettes worth a total of €304,500 and of attempting to deprive the government of nearly €2 million in VAT, import duty and other taxes. Calleja alone, who works as a security guard at the Freeport, is also charged with committing a crime which he was duty-bound to prevent.
