Lawwell sets the record straight
With HMRC and the SPL looking into how Rangers operated their EBT scheme over an 11 year period a whispering campaign code named ‘Operation Ah But What About Them’ has swung into action to deflect scrutiny away from David Murray.
Championed by the most gullible of cheerleaders every attempt has been made to make it an Old Firm issue after Celtic inherited an EBT with Juninho following his transfer in 2004 from Middlesbrough.
EBT payments to the Brazilian were declared in his contract to the SPL and HMRC but that hasn’t held back the campaign to have Celtic investigated.
As Murray and his devotees have repeatedly pointed out EBT’s were legal- how you operate and declare them is the issue that Rangers are being investigated for.
An EBT must be discretionary to avoid tax and can’t be included in a contract, similarly all payments made to players must be included in contracts declared to the SPL and SFA.
“It’s absolutely straightforward,” Lawwell declared. “We know we operated one single EBT. HMRC know how we operated that EBT. And the football authorities know how we operated that. We have no case to answer.
“I don’t know how Rangers operated their EBT. HMRC know, the football authorities know and there appears to be a tribunal and a commission set up.
“So it’s straightforward. In some quarters people have tried to drag us into the debate and it’s nothing to do with us. It’s a red herring.
“It’s my understanding that it’s not about EBTs. It’s about dual contracts. Again, I don’t know how they operated it so I can’t really comment but I know how we operated it and so do the football authorities. To me, it’s quite straightforward. There should be no muddying of the waters.”
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