Malcolm Macaskill, a former Conservative Party treasurer, has escaped legal action despite being caught running a £1 million VAT fraud and money laundering scheme. The 65-year-old from Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, pocketed over £800,000 through bogus VAT returns and laundered another £200,000 through his local Conservative Party branches.
The £1m Fraud Scheme
Macaskill ran the Bigga Bites and Kwik Snax sandwich companies from a factory in Cambuslang. Between February 2003 and March 2014, he submitted 34 false VAT returns, reclaiming a total of £829,320 from HMRC.
He even faked an NHS contract in 2008 to squeeze out an extra £88,543 in VAT repayments.
But he didn’t just stash the cash — he laundered £200,000 through the bank accounts of the Rutherglen and Cambuslang Conservative Association and the Glasgow Conservative Campaign Forum, where he served as treasurer and deputy chairman.
Money Laundering Through the Tories
The scam involved a paper trail of dodgy cheques:
- 11 cheques totalling £8,617 were paid to Kwik Snax from the Rutherglen and Cambuslang Conservative Association’s general account.
- 52 cheques worth a massive £193,790 came from the Glasgow Conservative Campaign Forum.
- Macaskill even wrote two cheques to himself, pocketing an extra £6,300.
Living Large on Stolen Cash
Macaskill wasn’t exactly living frugally. He used the stolen money to fund regular holidays, a Harley Davidson motorbike, and shopping sprees at Harrods.
Despite all this, Sheriff Paul Reid ruled that no further action would be taken after Macaskill was deemed unfit to stand trial due to a brain tumour diagnosed in 2022.
“Against that background, I will make no order,” Sheriff Reid said.
Wives Pulled into the Scam
Macaskill’s current wife, Louise, and his ex-wife, Moya, were both dragged into the mess. They were charged with handling £864,961 of criminal property, but the charges were found not proven after a six-day trial.
Louise, a former banker, admitted transferring £20,000 to Macaskill’s business account but claimed she had no idea about the fraud.
“I didn’t realise £104,554 had entered my account over four years until 2014,” she said.
Meanwhile, Moya helped run Macaskill’s sandwich business but claimed she was never paid and had no idea where the money came from.
“I would not have been happy if I’d known it was proceeds of crime,” she said.
Despite separating in 2001 and divorcing in 2010, Moya still works for Macaskill — earning less than minimum wage.
No Punishment Despite Guilty Verdict
Sheriff Reid ruled that Macaskill had deliberately scammed the system and used political party offices to launder money.
“He acted deliberately to receive money he wasn’t entitled to,” said Reid. “And he used the offices of a political party to launder considerable sums of money.”
Despite this, Macaskill walks free — no fines, no jail time.
Political Connections and a Quiet Exit
Macaskill, once photographed with David Cameron, was a rising star in Scottish Tory politics. He was even set to run for Holyrood but was dropped, reportedly to clear the way for Ruth Davidson.
Macaskill later branded the Scottish Tories as “inept and morally corrupt.”
Now, after pocketing over £1 million and laundering cash through the Tories, he remains comfortably at home — no consequences in sight.
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