A court has rejected a third request for bail filed by four members of the Pace family who are facing criminal proceedings over alleged usury and money laundering.

The accused are Keith Pace, 45, his partner Maria Grixti, 49, and brothers Carlos Pace and Cleaven Pace, aged 24 and 20 respectively.

The decision came during the ongoing compilation of evidence, during which testimony presented in court revealed further details about the background of the main accused.

During the sitting, the court heard that Keith Pace had previously been arraigned before the courts around 40 times on various criminal charges. Evidence presented also indicated that Pace owns or rents around ten properties registered in his name or in the name of his father, Lawrence Pace. It was also stated that Lawrence Pace had only worked for six years throughout his lifetime.

The court also heard that Emanuela Pace, Keith Pace's wife, has 16 vehicles registered in her name despite not holding a driving licence. Among the vehicles mentioned in court was a Chevrolet Corvette.

In a decree delivered by Magistrate Lara Lanfranco at around 4am, the court rejected the bail request, citing the seriousness of the charges and the risk that evidence could be tampered with if the accused were released from custody.

The prosecution is being led by Inspector Lianne Bonello, together with lawyers Neville Galea and Michael Muscat, on behalf of the Attorney General.

Lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Adreana Zammit appeared for the Pace brothers and their father, while lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri represented the older accused.