Twenty months demanded for defrauding Palma travel agency

On one night in August 2015, the accused is said to have purchased five packages - two were for the Caribbean, one was for a designer hotel, and the other two were under "unique experiences".

The combined value of these bookings was 4,500 euros. Although the accused was in Madrid, the investigation overseen by a court of instruction was in Palma - Barceló Viajes is part of the Barceló Group, which is based in Mallorca.

He appeared in court last week but rejected any agreement with the prosecutor. His defence raised a number of challenges, which the judge flatly dismissed. One of these was a claim that the police set a trap by offering other packages that he tried to purchase.

As there was no agreement, the case will go to trial at the end of March next year.