Ex-Tory worker's £1m VAT and money laundering scam

Malcolm Macaskill filed bogus forms to HMRC which grossly overstated the sales from his sandwich businesses

A former Conservative party branch treasurer was caught running a £1m VAT fraud and money laundering scheme, a court has heard.

Malcolm Macaskill, 65, filed bogus forms to HMRC which grossly overstated the sales from his sandwich businesses to reclaim more than £800,000.

He also laundered £200,000 through his local Conservative parties in Glasgow and Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, where he was treasurer as well as deputy chairman.

Further cash was then funnelled through the bank accounts of his current and ex-wives.

Macaskill, of Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, faced a number of charges including being involved in a fraudulent VAT scheme and receiving criminal property.

He was deemed unfit to stand trial due to him suffering from a brain tumour.

An examination of facts hearing - without a jury - instead took place at Glasgow Sheriff Court to examine the circumstances of the case.

Sheriff Paul Reid concluded the facts against Macaskill had been "established".

Macaskill was not present for most of the hearing. He remains living at his home.

The case was adjourned until later this year.

The scam happened between February 2003 and March 2014.

Macaskill ran the Bigga Bites and Kwik Snax sandwich production companies from a factory in Cambuslang.

The court heard how he submitted 34 false VAT return forms which authorised repayments of £864,971.72 through Bigga Bites.

He also made a bogus claim of an NHS contract with his business to get £88,543 in 2008 from a VAT return claim.

Macaskill then made cash deposits from the fraud into the bank accounts of the Rutherglen and Cambuslang Conservative Association and the Glasgow Conservative Campaign Forum.

A total of 11 cheques were made out to Kwik Snax from the Rutherglen and Cambuslang Conservative Association general account with a value of £8,617.

A further 52 cheques totalling £193,790 were made out to Kwik Snax from the Glasgow Conservative Campaign Forum.

Two cheques worth £6,300 were also made out to Macaskill directly from the organisation.

Macaskill - an ex-district court judge - reportedly received an out-of-court settlement from the Scottish Conservatives in 2012 having been dumped as a Holyrood election candidate.

His removal paved the way for future leader Ruth Davidson to get into parliament.

Macaskill later described the Scots Tories as "inept and morally corrupt".