Ian Bankier has issued Celtic’s first official response to last week’s BBC Scotland coverage of the Paradise Papers.
Dermot Desmond was doorstepped on his way to the Celtic v Bayern Munich with an excited Mark Daly reporting on the affairs of an Irish citizen regarding Swiss tax with Celtic Park providing the back drop.
Online BBC Scotland business editor Douglas Fraser deleted a tweet that mentioned Celtic in connection with the Paradise Papers.
Today’s Celtic AGM was a light hearted exercise with little in the way of conflict between the directors and the fan/shareholders.
Towards the end of the meeting one fan sought reassurance that Celtic weren’t involved in the sort of tax issues that forced the old Rangers club into liquidation.
Responding to that point Bankier said: “We deeply regret being associated with the Panorama programme last week. It had nothing to do with Celtic, nothing to to with with UK tax, it was nothing about anything.
“I saw them spend 15 minutes talking about a shopping centre.”
Following the Reporting Scotland ‘expose’ of the Paradise Papers Celtic fans were highly critical of BBC Scotland.
Twelve days after Sevco published their accounts showing a £6.7m loss of turnover of £29.2m the state broadcaster has still to comment or analyse the results.
Dave King’s offshore investment from the British Virgin Isles based New Oasis Asset Limited has also been ignored by BBC Scotland as has Michael Ball’s enquiries to the SFA and Scottish PFA to investigate the circumstances of his transfer from Rangers (IL) to PSV Eindhoven in 2005.
