A businessman who has denied a £13m fraud is to be committed to a higher court on Thursday.

Jason Gerard Scales appeared before magistrates on Thursday last week when his committal to the Court of General Gaol Delivery was adjourned for a week.

The 28-year-old is accused of being involved in a fraud relating to the purchase of an airline.

At last week’s court hearing, his defence advocate Jim Travers said that a joint application with the prosecution was being made to delay the committal proceedings until January 19.

Mr Travers said that a 900-page committal bundle of papers had been received the week before, which he was part-way through reviewing.

Mr Scales, who lives at Douglas Road, Ballasalla, is accused of providing documents fraudulently claiming that the Isle of Man Government was underwriting a loan for the purchase of Stobart Air.

His company, Ettyl Limited, had been in talks to buy Stobart Air in 2021.

Mr Scales has pleaded not guilty to fraud by false representation, and two counts of making articles for use in fraud.

The allegations are said to involve fraudulent documents, namely a letter of support from the Department of Enterprise, and a guarantee and indemnity document, purportedly signed by the chief executive of the Isle of Man Government.

The fraud is alleged to have been committed between April 7 and June 5, 2021.

Bail continues in the sum of £2,500 with a condition not to leave the island, not to contact witnesses, and to surrender his passport.