Man accused of £13m 'Ponzi scheme' fraud
- Published
A man has appeared in court charged with defrauding hundreds of investors out of almost £13m in a "Ponzi scheme".
Alistair Greig, 65, is also accused of moving stolen money out of the UK.
It is alleged investors - most resident in Scotland, in particular the Aberdeen area - were offered the opportunity to receive high guaranteed interest rates on short-term deposits.
Mr Greig, who lives in Boston, Lincolnshire, denies all the charges and is due to stand trial next year.
At the High Court in Livingston, it was claimed a business called Midas Financial Solutions (Scotland) Ltd was used to operate the alleged scheme.
High interest accounts
Court papers said Mr Greig is alleged to have obtained a total of £12,982,789.23 "or thereabouts" from the investors under false pretences.
He is also alleged to have accepted deposits without being an authorised or exempt person under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Mr Greig is charged with forming the allegedly fraudulent scheme at business addresses in Aberdeen, residential addresses in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, and elsewhere in the UK, between 30 August 2001 and 19 August 2014.
The prosecution claims he contacted potential investors and pretended that he would invest their money in high interest accounts with the Royal Bank of Scotland, promising that the returns on their capital and interest payments were "guaranteed".
The trial is due to take place at the High Court in Edinburgh in February.