A former Scottish Tory donor and one-time tycoon has re-invented himself as an actor.
Malcolm Scott, a former multi-millionaire and Tory treasurer who subverted an investigation into his assets, is the co-star in a film called Vulture. He recently received a 66-month bankruptcy restriction order (BRO).
The blurb to the indie movie, which is set to be shown this month, says it is about a man who “gets involved in a dark situation that will change his life”.
Separately, a charity watchdog is to contact Scott after it emerged he is still listed as a Trustee of the Crimestoppers organisation, which was set up by Tory backer Lord Ashcroft.
Scott was an influential figure in the Conservatives after donating over £1.6m and allowing David Cameron and ex Foreign Secretary William Hague use of his private jet.
Educated at Fettes in Edinburgh, he was a high-flying businessman who made his money in the property and grain sectors.
However, his business empire collapsed after he borrowed millions of pounds he was unable to repay. He was later sequestrated, the Scots word for bankruptcy.
He was then accused of concealing his assets from the sequestration team, who pursued the case through the courts and applied for a BRO, which puts financial restrictions on an individual.
In one evidence session, Scott informed Sheriff Holligan that various items had been stolen from his former Kirknewton mansion after the sequestration.
However, the court heard that a number of the items had actually been sold at auction for nearly £10,000.
A lawyer acting for the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AIB), which pursued the BRO, quoted a police report which found "insufficient evidence" of a break-in.
Scott had also claimed that the proceeds from the sale of Range Rover weeks before the sequestration had been put in a box and given to a friend for safe-keeping.
However, he claimed that the cash went missing after a man called ‘Dougie’ visited the friend’s house and took the box away.
The AIB recently secured a five and a half year BRO for Scott due to his “serious misbehaviour during his bankruptcy”.
Richard Dennis, the AIB chief executive, said at the time: “The sheriff has agreed with us that Mr Scott sought to subvert the process during his bankruptcy.”
Source: Accountant in Bankruptcy (AIB)
However, Scott has tried to move on from his business humiliation by becoming a disc jockey for Radio Dunoon and carving out a niche for himself on screen.
Vulture, a film about organ harvesting, was directed by Tim McCullough and has Scott and John Bailie as the cast.
The synopsis reveals: “A young loner from the outskirts of Belfast gets involved in a dark situation that will change his life. Trying to help a friend he sets up a quick way for him to make money but he doesn't realize who he is dealing with and how much it will really cost him.
“Once he has crossed the line, he can't step back, he has to live with it. A haunting observation of vulnerable desperation and mercenary existence, Vulture leaves you with something you can't wash off.”
The website for the film also contains a definition of a vulture: “A person of a rapacious, predatory, or profiteering nature.”
It is scheduled to be shown at this month’s film festival in Cork.
Meanwhile, the Charity Commission is to approach Scott about his continuing role as a Crimestoppers Trustee.
According to the Commission, an individual who is subject to a BRO is disqualified from acting as a Trustee under the Charities Act 2011.
A Commission spokesperson said: “We will contact the individual concerned.”
Scott could not be reached.
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