A FORMER Scottish Tory council leader has gone on trial over an alleged “romance fraud”.
Andrew Polson, a now-independent councillor for East Dunbartonshire, has been accused of creating a “fraudulent scheme” to enter into a business partnership with a woman and embezzling funds from a local radio station.
As reported by the BBC, the court heard that the involvement of abuse of his partner or ex-partner aggravated the offences.
Polson was suspended by the Scottish Tories after the allegations were made public in 22. He denies the charges.
A four-page indictment, containing details of 10 charges against the councillor, was read to the jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Polson allegedly “induced” the woman into transferring money for payments for two properties: a rental property in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire to be jointly owned and another in Bearsden registered solely in her name.
Court documents said the councillor claimed a firm called AA Lettings would carry out administration and leasing of the properties, with Polson also allegedly opening a bank account for the company.
Despite the woman contributing £40,500 in payments for the properties, the joint title was never secured.
It has been alleged that she did not receive an equal share of rent collected from the homes and that £200 was taken from her monthly in “expenditure”.
Polson is said to have induced the woman to pay £146,000 for the Bearsden property, and the charges span from May 2021 until March 2022.
A separate accusation against the councillor claims he stole her bank card in April of 2022 in order to fraudulently secure a loan in her name. He also allegedly embezzled over £90,000 from Revival Radio Limited, where he served as director.
The claims relating to Revival Radio allege he was “drawing, applying and intromitting” funds by sending payments to himself and running up expenses that were not in line with the company’s normal expenditure.
The alleged offence took place on the now-liquidised firm’s base in Cumbernauld between January 1, 2021 and August 31, 2022.
