The National Police of the Balearic Islands has arrested a tourist businessman from the Majorcan municipality of Manacor accused of an alleged crime of improper bribery after trying to bribe the general director of Coasts of the Government of . The businessman was arrested on Thursday morning and placed at the disposal of the court on duty that same afternoon. After appearing before the judge and taking advantage of his right not to testify, he was released. The cause has been declared secret.
As judicial sources have confirmed to EL PAÍS, the events occurred at the beginning of this month of April. The businessman has an excursion business in the Portocristo area, a town in the northeast of the island of Mallorca. According to these same sources, the General Directorate of Coasts, dependent on the regional government, had denied a series of licenses and permits to the detainee’s company. The businessman and the general director, María Joaquina Ferrer, had already held meetings to discuss the matter on occasions prior to the reported events.
At the beginning of the month, the detainee appeared at the general management and gave the senior official a box of chocolates containing 20,000 euros, supposedly with the intention of offering him the perk in exchange for the general management to arrange the licenses and permits he needed to continue operating with the excursion company. The general director rejected the bribe and went to the National Police station to report the facts.
The Economic Crime and Technological Crimes group of the National Police took charge of the investigation and, after starting the proceedings, arrested the businessman this Thursday, accused of an alleged crime of improper bribery. In the afternoon, the businessman was brought before the court, he availed himself of his right not to testify and was released at the end of the day. The case has been declared secret while the investigation remains open.
