A young man who duped holidaymakers into thinking he had farmhouses in Gozo to rent before making off with their money has been conditionally discharged after paying back the victims.

André Apap, 25, from Gozo, but who resides in Malta, had placed an advert on Maltapark.com advertising a farmhouse in Gozo for rent. When victims approached him to rent the properties he took their money and stopped all contact, the court had heard. He embellished his advert with photos of an actual farmhouse that did not belong to him which he had lifted from another, legitimate website.

He had taken some €800 before victims contacted the police. He admitted to misappropriation in May 2012 and was conditionally discharged for three years. He has another pending court case where he admitted to defrauding some 15 groups of people in September 2012.