Customs officer admits tax scam

Published on Wednesday 27 February 2008 16:41

A CUSTOMS officer has admitted defrauding HM Revenue and Customs of £120,000 by filling in false tax claim forms.

Craig Gordon pleaded guilty after four-and-a-half weeks of evidence at his fraud trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.

Gordon, 36, admitted being involved in a bogus financial firm so he could claim a series of large tax repayments from his employers over a two-year period.

He committed the offences while working as a customs officer at the Lothian 2 Area Office in Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh between February 19, 2003, and December 16, 2004.

The Crown is now seeking to recover some of the money the tax worker fraudulently obtained under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Gordon, of Calder Place, Sighthill, was accused of defrauding HMRC of more than 190,000 but today pleaded guilty to the lesser amount.

The father-of-two had been accused of using the names of his friends and family as part of the scam.

He had initially denied the charges, and had lodged a special defence of incrimination, claiming that other people were responsible for the fraud.

During the trial, jurors were shown a tape recording of Gordon's police interview in which he claimed he was "too trusting" of his employers.

He told police he simply did the work that was given to him and had not even realised he was processing claims for people he knew and denied having anything to do with the scam.

The trial had been expected to last up to another three weeks and was to feature more than a thousand pieces of evidence and 100 witnesses.

Gordon pleaded guilty to taking part in a fraudulent scheme to obtain money by being involved in a company named Capital Tax Services set up to receive the money, and creating false income tax repayment claims and processing them for repayment.

His not guilty plea to a further charge of attempting to obtain money from Revenue and Customs between January 1, 2004, and December 16, 2004 was accepted by the Crown.

Gordon, who has been on bail throughout the proceedings, was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month following background reports.