A man who benefited from a sentence reduction in return for his testimony against his accomplice in a 2020 drug importation operation has been charged after allegedly giving a false version of events on the witness stand in those proceedings.

Igaming employee Chariton Papadas, a 33-year-old Greek citizen living in Swieqi was arraigned before magistrate Victor Axiak on Wednesday, charged with knowingly making a false accusation before a competent authority as well as giving false evidence in criminal proceedings for a crime punishable by over two years in prison, making a false oath before a court and fabricating evidence in order to get someone unjustly charged with an offence which they had not committed.

Papadas pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Police Inspector Mark Anthony Mercieca told the court that on 23 February, 2022, the defendant and another man had been arrested in connection with the bulk importation of drugs into Malta. The men were arrested after a package containing three kilos of cannabis was discovered at the UPS hub in Luqa. 

In his initial statement to the police, Papadas had mentioned other individuals as being involved in the crime, and received a reduced punishment after agreeing to testify against his alleged accomplices in the related proceedings. 

But when Papadas had taken the witness stand in the case against accomplice Ahmed Walid Askarzada, Papadas had changed his account completely, said the inspector. 

The man was arraigned on Wednesday following a police investigation into the matter.

Following the not-guilty plea, defence lawyer Charmaine Cherrett informed the court that bail would not be requested at this stage.

Papadas was remanded in custody.

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