Former city taxman on trial for £190,000 fraud

A MAN has gone on trial in Edinburgh charged with defrauding HM Revenue and Customs out of more than £190,000.

Craig Gordon, 36, of Calder Place, Sighthill, has denied that between February 19, 2003, and December 16, 2004, while employed at the HMRC's Lothians 2 Area office in Broomhouse Drive, he formed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money.

The charge against him alleges he set up a company named Capital Tax Services to receive the money, opened a bank account under a false name, and created false income tax repayment claims and processed them for repayment.

He is alleged to have obtained £190,448.20 by the fraud.

Gordon has also pled not guilty to attempting to obtain money from Revenue and Customs between January 1, 2004, and December 16, 2004.

With more than a thousand pieces of evidence and 100 witnesses, the trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court is expected to last three weeks.

Gordon has lodged a special defence of incrimination, claiming that several other people were responsible for the acts not him.