Craig Whyte is to stand trial in April of duping Dave Murray.
In May 2011 the former billionaire handed over a £1 coin to the Edinburgh born businessman and many would suggest that it wasn’t Murray that was duped.
The initial £30m asking price for Rangers (IL) dropped down to £6 as negotiations dragged on before Whyte’s legal team discovered the wee tax case in which Murray refused to pay HMRC £2.8m in lost taxation from the illegal payments made to Tore Andre Flo and Ronald de Boer.
Whyte handed over his coin and was given a heroes welcome by the gullibles who laughed off Timmy tales that their new leader didn’t own a pot never mind a billion pound coins.
Unfortunately for Whyte he was forced to inherit Ally McCoist as manager with the former Question of Sport skipper taking the club out of the Champions League and Europa Cup shortly after sheriff officers arrived at the ground looking for payment of the wee tax bill.
Reporting on the preliminary hearing for the trial scheduled for April STV stated: “It is said Whyte and his representatives pretended to then-Rangers owner Sir David Murray and others that “funds were available” to make all stipulated payments.
“The second charge under the Companies Act centres on an £18m payment in connection with the takeover.
“Alex Prentice QC is heading the prosecution team in the case. Whyte’s bail was continued meantime and another pre-trial hearing has been set for February.”
Whyte will be represented by Donald Findlay who shouldn’t have too much difficulty in tearing apart the duped charge. As well as knowing the primary school and football allegiances of every journalist in Scotland Murray was a long term friend of Whyte’s dad and really should have been well aware of his business history.
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