Once again Rangers’ overdue bill to HMRC for £2.8m in early 2011 was under discussion at the Craig Whyte fraud trial today.
Without question the club had an overdue tax bill at 31 March 2011 but were given a licence by the SFA to play in the UEFA Champions League for the 2011/12 season.
In real terms, rather than decide to pay a tax bill dating back a decade to the Discount Option Scheme used to recruit Tore Andre Flo and Ronald de Boer, Rangers opted to keep on spending money on players.
A £4m fee was agreed with Rapid Vienna to transfer Nikica Jelavic to Ibrox, by the time Rangers were put into liquidation in June 2012 part of the transfer fee was still outstanding.
In between times the Croatian scored 16 SPL goals to deliver the 2010/11 SPL title and another chance at the Champions League payday used to keep the wolf from the door.
In the witness box today Stuart McLean, a partner in Dundas & Wilson who were working for the Murray Group on the deal with Whyte.
McLean says he would advise those setting up a data room not to put in “sensitive material” into it too early. “Risk of misuse”
— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
Email 17 March 2011 from Mike McGill to McLean and others.”I think we should front up about the small tax case”
1/2— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
“New information has come to light which would suggest liability…in the region of £2.5m”
— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
“New information has come to light which would suggest liability…in the region of £2.5m”
— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
McLean says that it was around this time he became aware of this potential liability
Findlay “They kept it from you as well?”— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
Findlay suggests bill from HMRC was issued in 2010. Suggests tone of email is “We better tell purchaser about this in case they find out?’
— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
McLean disagrees.
Findlay “Look at the words..this is the middle of March, they’ve known since 2010”— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017
McLean “Your asking me to speculate”
Findlay “I’m asking you a question”— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) May 23, 2017