Magistrate Edwina Grima yesterday continued hearing the case against Sandro Psaila and Raymond Caruana, accused of bribing the late Judge Ray Pace.

Caruana, 51 of Zebbug, and Psaila 40, of Valletta, are charged with trying to corrupt Mr Justice Pace to make him hand down a stiffer sentence to Darren Charles Desira of Zebbug.

The testimony yesterday related to a car which Psaila had bought before the case started. He had paid a deposit of €2,000, as verified by Frederick Grixti, who conducts the contracts of Premier Car Leasing.

But because Psaila’s assets have been frozen, he cannot pay the balance, amounting to €15,000. The court accepted a request by the defence to return the car to the company, with Psaila being refunded the deposit money.

The court also authorised Raymond Caruana to go abroad, on a deposit of €3,000.