The unfortunate shredding of documents

The report on Rangers on tonight’s Channel 4 News by Alex Thomson put meat on the bones of what has been going on at Rangers over the last decade or more.  Former chief executive, Martin Bain, was revealed to have written to then-chairman, John McClelland, in late 2003 asking that his pay rise is paid through the club’s Employee Benefit Trust, which is not subject to Income Tax or National Insurance.

Bain goes on to make a sinister note to McClelland, “at the end of the meeting I gave her back the letter addressed to me from you that stated my contractual increase for her to shred.”

Shredding documents?  Oh dear.

Bain declined to answer questions from Channel 4 but yesterday offered to drop his contractual claim against the club, suggesting his issue was with Rangers new owner, Craig Whyte.  It was the most self-serving drivel I have read in a while.

If this was how he behaved as Rangers chief executive Whyte was right to suspend him last year.  How Bain had the front to pursue Rangers for over £1m knowing the consequences of his letters to John McClelland beggars belief.

I wonder how HMRC view instructions to shred documents that could inform a view on a tax claim?  These documents prove Rangers directors knew how EBTs worked, understood what they were doing and the consequences.

Paul Baxendale-Walker walked straight out of a Carry On movie to give a great cameo performance. In a couple of years some poor casting director is going to have to try to find actors to play Baxendale-Walker, Whyte, Bain, Paul Murray and Zsa Zsa himself. Could any actors do justice to these bizarre individuals?

I’d be interested in your suggestions. Zsa Zsa for Sir David is a given.

To read CQN Magazine go to the dedicated site the graphic below is just an overview.

Thanks to everyone who has bought a hard copy of issue 7.  Order your copy for delivery by clicking on the link below for news and views from Celtic supporters.

Pay by card or Paypal.