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16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 OCTOBER 2026 NEWS Man cleared in 2002 Corradino drug conspiracy Noel Borg was 29 when he was charged over a drug ring allegedly run from Corradino prison, and 50 when his acquittal was confirmed. A court has now found that the prosecution's delays 'stand out far more' When 19 people were led in- to court on 1 November 2002 amid tight security, the pros- ecution had every reason to feel pleased with itself. Police had spent months listening in on telephone calls from Cor- radino, where four of Malta's most infamous inmates were suspected of running a drug importation plot through their wives, girlfriends, broth- ers and sons. Together with the Italian police, they believed they had foiled it. Emanuel "Noel" Borg was 29 when he was marched in- to court under arrest that day. He was 50 when the Court of Appeal finally confirmed his acquittal, on 13 September 2023. Last month, Judge Lawrence Mintoff ruled the wait was itself a violation of his fun- damental rights. He awarded him €12,000 for non-pecuni- ary damage, to be paid by the State and the Attorney Gener- al within the month. Borg testified he lost his job in marine repairs and was re- fused permission to travel, so he missed out on work in Du- bai and France. With his property frozen, he said, he could not get a busi- ness overdraft or buy a home with his partner. He had put off having children for fear of prison. The five years the Attorney General's appeal sat awaiting judgment, he said, "put his life on hold". The State had argued that the case was complex, and that the delay only counted if it was "capricious". But Judge Mintoff said that the prosecution had made de- cisions that fed the delay, "and the delay on its side stands out far more". Borg is among at least a doz- en of the accused in the plot to have been acquitted at some stage. In several cases, when the courts found that once statements taken without a lawyer were excluded, the re- maining evidence fell short. Two of the alleged ringleaders were convicted in Malta. The alleged plot In December 2001, the Drugs Squad were tipped off that a consignment of cocaine, can- nabis and other drugs would be bought in Holland, driven down to Sicily and brought to Malta by sea or by car. The alleged brains of the operation were prison in- mates Emanuel "Leli l-Bully" Camilleri, Mario "l-Imnieħru" Camilleri, Charles "il-Pips" Muscat and Alfred "il-Porpo- rina" Bugeja. They were said to be running the plan by mo- bile phone, which prisoners were forbidden to have, while their relatives did the legwork on the outside. Cocaine and cannabis were allegedly bought in Holland and driven down to Sicily, where rough seas scuppered the planned crossing to Malta. This was the second attempt. The men had to fly back home empty-handed the on the first try, as they had not brought enough cash to buy the drugs, and the supplier would not hand anything over. On that second run, when an Italian police search rattled the couriers, they allegedly buried the haul near a tunnel outside Palermo. A Maltese inspector flew over, dug it up and swapped it for dummy packets. On May 30, 2002, Raymond "il-Borza" Borg and Fabio Psaila were arrested in Sici- ly as they came to collect the packages. Both served four years there. Police alleged Noel Borg's role was the boat. They filmed him and co-accused Dan- iel-Victor Bonnici launching a 27-foot speedboat at Buġibba in April 2002, which they said was earmarked to bring the drugs over from Sicily. ĦALEY XUEREB hxuereb@mediatoday.com.mt Corradino prison (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) A court has found that the prosecution's delays 'stand out far more' (File Photo) Cocaine and cannabis were allegedly bought in Holland and driven down to Sicily, where rough seas scuppered the planned crossing to Malta