Saturday, October 27, 2012

£8 MILLION of YOUR MONEY spent on ‘BULLY BOY’ agents as papers to MSP reveal Accountant in Bankruptcy secretly seize benefits of disabled, trashing lives of Scots on the brink

Accountant in Bankruptcy KilwinningPlush offices of Kilwinning based Accountant in Bankruptcy, who target disabled benefits cash. AT THE END of a week when the Scottish Government announced there have been 4,063 personal insolvencies in the past year, it may well come as a surprise to learn that papers now in the hands of MSPs and an MP, reveal that Scotland's Accountant in Bankruptcy (AIB) is conveniently looking the other way while its highly paid, ‘bully boy’ agents routinely seize Scots benefits cash in attempts to force unnecessary payments out of even the long term sick and disabled victims of the current recession.

It can also be revealed the same ‘bully-boy’ firms of private accountants who go on to seize the bank accounts of sequestrated individuals, are being paid millions of pounds of public money by the AIB to do it, and when victims are forced to complain about their benefits being withheld, contrary to laws put in place to prevent this, the Accountant in Bankruptcy and their agents refuse to allow external investigations by banking & finance regulators.

Journalists from Diary of Injustice who have been looking into this huge bankruptcy scam on the public purse, recently made Freedom of Information requests to the Accountant in Bankruptcy, asking for details of expenditures of public money on private accountants acting as the AIB’s “agents” and the numbers of complaints made against each of the AIB’s agents.

In it’s response. the Accountant in Bankruptcy revealed that at least EIGHT MILLION POUNDS of taxpayers cash (£8,021,756.62) has already been spent on private accountants working for the already overstaffed multi million pound budgeted public body in charge of sequestrations. The AIB have also revealed a litany of complaints made against its agents but it refused to release any details of the actual complaints and confirm whether matters were in fact resolved.

The AIB ‘s FOI response, available to view online HERE, states :

I can confirm that Armstrong Watson is one of those Providers. Since the commencement of this contract in April 2009, until 31 March 2012, Armstrong Watson has been paid £1,051,627.12 for the administration of cases on behalf of The Accountant in Bankruptcy. To date they have been allocated 2062 cases. I can confirm that there have been 11 complaints made to AiB in respect of Armstrong Watson, from 1 April 2009 to date, 2 August 2012.

I can confirm that Hastings & Co are one of those Providers. Since the commencement of this contract in April 2009, until 31 March 2012, Hastings & Co have been paid £608,605.96 for the administration of cases on behalf of The Accountant in Bankruptcy. To date they have been allocated 1040 cases. I can confirm that there have been 8 complaints made to AiB in respect of Hastings & Co, from 1 April 2009 to date, 2 August 2012.

I can confirm that Invocas is one of those Providers. Since the commencement of this contract in April 2009, until 31 March 2012, Invocas has been paid £284,346.77 for the administration of cases on behalf of The Accountant in Bankruptcy. To date they have been allocated 875 cases. I can confirm that there have been 6 complaints made to AiB in respect of Invocas, from 1 April 2009 to date, 2 August 2012.

I can confirm that KPMG is one of those Providers. Since the commencement of this contract in April 2009, until 31 March 2012, KPMG has been paid £3,706,744.79 for the administration of cases on behalf of The Accountant in Bankruptcy. To date they have been allocated 6585 cases. I can confirm that there have been 28 complaints made to AiB in respect of KPMG, from 1 April 2009 to date, 2 August 2012.

I can confirm that Miller McIntyre & Gellatly (now mmg archbold) is one of those Providers. Since the commencement of this contract in April 2009, until 31 March 2012, MMG have been paid £303,745.48 for the administration of cases on behalf of The Accountant in Bankruptcy. To date they have been allocated 710 cases. I can confirm that there has been 1 complaint made to AiB in respect of MMG, from 1 April 2009 to date, 2 August 2012.

Since the commencement of this contract in April 2009, until 31 March 2012, Wylie & Bisset have been paid £2,066,686.50, for the administration of cases on behalf of The Accountant in Bankruptcy. To date they have been allocated 3703 cases. I can confirm that there have been 18 complaints made to AiB in respect of Wylie & Bisset, from 1 April 2009 to date, 27 July 2012.

After looking into cases brought to the attention of Diary of Injustice, it has now been confirmed several of the firms identified in the above FOI response have been subject to serious complaints relating to how sequestrations have been handled, including matters involving the freezing of bank accounts and access to state funds.

Papers relating to one such case now in the hands of Perth MSP John Park confirm that agents acting on behalf of the Accountant in Bankruptcy have blocked access to disability benefits payments made to individuals who have suffered sequestration under highly questionable circumstances, for up to SEVEN MONTHS at a time.

The case being handled by MSP Mr Park, involves a Mr William Gordon of Perth who’s plight has previously been reported by the Herald newspaper, online law news websites and Diary of Injustice, featuring the case here :

An investigation of Mr Gordon’s case on Scots law website Scottish Law Reporter identified a firm Glasgow accountants, Wylie & Bisset who have been acting for the Accountant in Bankruptcy against Mr Gordon.

The Herald newspaper & Scottish Law Reporter have previously reported that Wylie & Bisset, who have been paid a whopping TWO MILLION POUNDS of public money to act for the AIB in sequestration cases, had also attempted to seize Mr Gordon's home  (which he does not own) and the home of an unrelated family in another town in order to pay off questionable debts claimed by a Perth based law firm, Kippen Campbell.

Diary of Injustice has previously reported on Mr Gordon’s case, after Kippen Campbell decided to bankrupt Mr Gordon, their former client, over a fees dispute, even though documents produced to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission revealed Kippen Campbell had left their client on the doorstep of the Court of Session without legal representation after a long battle to bring a personal injury claim.

It has shockingly turned out that since the last report on Mr Gordon’s case, where his accounts were unfrozen, the agents acting for the AIB along with Lloyds TSB, Mr Gordon's bank, froze his accounts again, and have since refused to offer any explanation for their conduct.

Earlier this week, Diary of Injustice was handed copies of papers now in the hands of John Park MSP, and the SNP’s Pete Wishart MP at Westminster, which show the AIB’s agents, Wylie & Bisset have even refused requests from the Financial Ombudsman to investigate complaints made about the case by Mr Gordon, a move which suggests private firms acting on behalf of the Accountant in Bankruptcy are effectively unregulated, and can do as they please to victims of the credit crunch, brought about by the antics of corrupt, greedy bankers & their colleagues.

Speaking to Diary of Injustice yesterday (Friday), an official with one of Scotland’s Consumer protection bodies condemned the treatment of Mr Gordon and others at the hands of the AIB.

She said : “It is a disgrace that firms of private accountants who are apparently being paid millions of pounds of public money by the AIB are freezing benefits payments made to the sick & disabled and those who can ill afford any further expenditure after being made bankrupt.”

She added that the matter was so serious it must be raised in discussions with a view to making amendments to the coming Bankruptcy Bill, proposed by the SNP to be brought before the Scottish Parliament at a later date.

After Mr Gordon’s plight became public, Diary of Injustice received numerous emails from individuals caught in similar circumstances where agents acting for the AIB have also blocked access to state benefits payments, in what appears to be a popular policy of holding the poorest in society to ransom, in an effort to extort unnecessary payments back to the AIB’s agents who are already raking in millions of pounds of taxpayers money.

No one from the Accountant in Bankruptcy has answered or explained why it has not acted over complaints about bully boy tactics by its own agents in cases where bank accounts and state benefits payments to victims of disabilities have been frozen for such long periods of time.

If you have encountered difficulties with the Accountant in Bankruptcy or their agents, please let us know via scottishlawreporters@gmail.com. Anyone in such a situation should also ask for help from their MSP, in the light of the planned new legislation on bankruptcies in the Scottish Parliament.

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hitting the disabled and weak in society to pay off lawyers who clearly don't deserve it in the first place.. and why the hell do the AIB need to hire agents to do their dirty work when their offices are stuffed with wasters & accountants?

Anonymous said...

Stealing the poor's benefits and being paid millions by us to do it what a bloody scandal

Anonymous said...

Bad people Indeed.

Anonymous said...

The case being handled by MSP Mr Park, involves a Mr William Gordon of Perth who’s plight has previously been reported by the Herald newspaper, online law news websites and Diary of Injustice, featuring the case here
===============================
A GP stopped a patients money in Hamilton too to starve her into submission. She was in litigation against a Hamilton company and they had another Hamilton GP as their Medical officer.

They are all bad bastards, just like the AIB.

Great reporting again from DOI.

Anonymous said...

Accountant in Bankruptcy EVIL SCUM.

Anonymous said...

How do they get away with taking benefits to pay accountants??? and why isnt this in the newspapers yet?

If someone commits an offence and they are on benefits they get years to pay at a few quid a week so if the AIB are not going to court and teling the sheriff about the benefits they must be breaking the law surely?

Anonymous said...

I have a friend who has been dealing with a company called Begbies Traynor regarding an ever lasting Trust Deed with no apparent discharge date and who operates questionable business practices which do not include the auditing of the AIB (accountant in bankruptcy)? Has anyone else had dealings with this company?

Anonymous said...

and it should be noted Mr Gordon's seven months of hell (and probably more) were initiated by his own lawyers who dumped him on the court steps.

Good luck Mr Gordon hope you win against these bullies from the aib and by the sounds of it anyone with Lloyds TSB should immediately switch to another bank in protest.

Anonymous said...

After Mr Gordon’s plight became public, Diary of Injustice received numerous emails from individuals caught in similar circumstances where agents acting for the AIB have also blocked access to state benefits payments.
==============================
There will be thousands of victims.

Anonymous said...

Accountants - the best friends of lawyers and the worlds worst bankers!

Sounds like they have been getting away with this for years while the AIB is happy to take the money from soft targets.

Anonymous said...

Oh well you certainly laid into this mob whoever they are and I see lawyers are involved so no surprises there someone's life has been ruined again because of a lawyer dont know why we are allowing it to happen really

Anonymous said...

In Mr Gordon's case, the AIB seem to be acting as another wing of the Law Society of Scotland to further harass the victim already of unscrupulous lawyers?.

Anywhere you see an absent of moral behaviour in Scotland, you can be sure that the Law Society of Scotland will be involved?

The most overtly criminal organisation in Scotland today?

Anonymous said...

Hasn't anyone spotted yet the big story here about SIX firms of accountants taking EIGHT MILLION from taxpayers to ruin all some of the most vulnerable in society?

THIS IS POTENTIALLY A BIGGER RACKET THAN LEGAL AID!

COME ON FOLKS ITS STARING YOU IN THE FACE AND WHAT ABOUT ALL THE EXTRA GONE ON LAWYERS SHERIFF OFFICERS AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO HOUNDS PEOPLE WHO LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF BANKERS

Anonymous said...

Banks are not allowed to withhold access to Disability Living Allowance payments I've been through this before,complained and received compensation for them doing same to me.Take it to the press there are many of us in same position as Mr Gordon.

Anonymous said...

Self-regulation of the media has "failed" and politicians must act to ensure "business as usual" is not an option, Harriet Harman has said.

Labour's deputy leader told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show politicians of all parties should unite to change the law to ensure a "truly independent" body is established to look at complaints.
#########################
Here we go again. She wanted MP's expenses kept secret, and lawyers allowed to self regulate.

Truly independent Harriet like The Law Society. Apply rules universally Harriet, or shut up.


Anonymous said...

The AIB Freedom of Information responses you published in the Google link appear to be in draft format.How did you obtain these?

Anonymous said...

I get the feeling this has happened to a quite a few people while the banks are laughing all the way to themselves because they are making a ton on the money being frozen in accounts and the accountants will be claiming it as an asset to gain finance etc

Hope it makes the papers soon and brings out thousands in the same boat

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

The AIB Freedom of Information responses you published in the Google link appear to be in draft format.How did you obtain these?

28 October 2012 16:18

and just how do YOU know they are "draft format"?

Must be some aib tosser who is too bothered about how something looks instead of seizing someone's benefits!

Anonymous said...

NO doubt about it this is a big operation going on just look at the size of their offices and the amounts of money changing hands all the while people on benefits are getting screwed by the accountants and the banks

I'll be telling people to avoid LloydsTSB from now on and have emailed a copy of this story to a disability rights group and hope it becomes a protest campaign

Anonymous said...

When you deal with lawyers, accountants and doctors in certain circumstances they are pure evil. And their so called regulators are 100 times worse. Trust us who really know them.

Anonymous said...

The SNP seem to love handing money out to accountants dont they.Is it anything to do with the fact a few of them at the top are?

Anonymous said...

Well done Peter this must be a good investigation of yours to come up with this kind of material about them taking dla to pay some creep lawyers.I bet they send out letters telling victims they have to go speak to a lawyer to sort it all out and starve to death even more,

SCUM! and to the comment who said why are we allowing it well its about time we stopped allowing it.

Anonymous said...

What's the betting most of those who make complaints get the usual fob off..

Anonymous said...

Just incredible a firm of lawyers can start someone on the road to hell like this and then the whole system kicks in to even deny the guy his benefits.

and with all that money they are handing over to the accountants they could cure a lot of bankruptcies instead!

Anonymous said...

ehe hope you spoil their week at Kilwinning as they brag about how many people they nail for the bankers/lawyers

Anonymous said...

Nazi's brothers of evil.

Anonymous said...

An excellent report, Mr Cherbi.I have passed this onto a client who is being hounded by one of those firms you mentioned in the article.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Hitting the disabled and weak in society to pay off lawyers who clearly don't deserve it in the first place.. and why the hell do the AIB need to hire agents to do their dirty work when their offices are stuffed with wasters & accountants?

27 October 2012 16:48
========================================

Not a single chartered accountant works as staff for the Accountant in Bankruptcy (despite the misleading name)?

Instead, all AIB cases are outsourced (because the AIB have zero capability) so that Accountants and advice from Scottish lawyers can rack-up massive fees (greedily slurping up the gravy) from the Public Purse?

And with the AIB used as an attack dog of the Law Society of Scotland?

Anonymous said...

It seems that the function of the AIB is to make sure the criminals get a free ride and the innocent members of the public get absolutely crucified?

Anonymous said...

I'd like to know why the Accountant in Bankruptcy is paying out millions to private accountancy firms to do all this terribly mundane work while it has staff coming out of its ears.

This is another of those state paid subsidies to the professions like you were talking about on the legal aid topic recently in the Sunday Mail.

Anonymous said...

Good luck Mr Gordon I hope you get some justice after what all these miserable scumbags have done to you

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

The AIB Freedom of Information responses you published in the Google link appear to be in draft format.How did you obtain these?

28 October 2012 16:18

Interesting you should mention this so I had a look for myself.

No letter head or anything on those fois although the information appears to be genuine so we have to conclude you are correct (in that they are a draft version) or the AIB did not want the information being published along with its logo.

I assume those companies will not be happy being tied to £millions of public funds while the rest of us are having to make do with bugger all and cuts to everything so someone was definitely trying to protect themselves.Anyway no matter because ace reporter Cherbi has published it all and now we know there is going to be some kind of stushi in the Scottish Parliament/Westminster about all this.Good work as usual glad to have you on the side of the weak and persecuted Mr C and the DOI team!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

I'd like to know why the Accountant in Bankruptcy is paying out millions to private accountancy firms to do all this terribly mundane work while it has staff coming out of its ears.

This is another of those state paid subsidies to the professions like you were talking about on the legal aid topic recently in the Sunday Mail.

29 October 2012 11:51

Good point.If the AIB cant do the work then it must be unfit for purpose and should be scrapped.They have plenty of people working at their office so there's no real need to pay these millions to more accountants.This is just a racket as someone already said.

Anonymous said...

The £8m on the accountants would be better spent on helping many of these people out of bankruptcy rather than as the accountants prefer holding them to trust deeds or schemes forever just to earn more fees for keeping them in limbo

Anonymous said...

Mr Gordon the TSB bank are owe you thousands of pounds in compensation so hang on in there.

Anonymous said...

Anyone with actual experience of the AIB will tell you they are vile people as are their cohorts in the accountants club.Also that picture of their office does not do the place justice.I have been there,it is kitted out with no expenses spared all on the public purse as you rightly point out.

Anonymous said...

Great blog and good to see your stuff in the papers - wonder how these accountants feel now their public pay cheques are public knowledge?

Funny how these office runts sneer at those on benefits and look down their noses at them yet they are taking millions off the govt as well..

No wonder people are getting upset about it

Anonymous said...

So this is clearly a big problem with the access to benefits presumably being paid into frozen bank accounts.Surely the papers must have a go at this because we cant have the banksters and the accounsters holding the disabled on benefits just to pay for their 2nd homes etc

Anonymous said...

I never realised Scotland is so corrupt!This seems to run through all sectors of Scottish society and business.Not worth doing business with when your own people are treating you all like this.

Anonymous said...

Yes the banks will be making money off this swindle - otherwise they wouldn't be doing it in the first place.

How many bonuses do these creeps at the aib get for ruining people's lives?

Anonymous said...

4,063 personal insolvencies in a year - and I'm willing to bet a growing number of these are not scam directors of scam companies,more like us ordinary folks caught up in mortgage,credit card & bank rip offs.

The Scottish Govt announcement makes an attempt to spin the figures down 25% or so on last year yet how can we trust their statistics when there are stories like this floating around?

No mention at all of benefits seizures and the disabled made to starve what's the matter Mr Salmond,Madam Sturgeon et all do you not like admitting to the truth and are you targeting the weak in society just as much as you are attacking the Tories for doing in their welfare cuts?

Anonymous said...

Now you'll be making enemies of the accountants too by letting people know about this large scale rip off!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It seems that the function of the AIB is to make sure the criminals get a free ride and the innocent members of the public get absolutely crucified?

29 October 2012 11:28
??????????????????????????????????????????

BINGO........

Congratulations for grabbing hold of the white rabbit as it bolted down the rabbit hole......

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I'd like to know why the Accountant in Bankruptcy is paying out millions to private accountancy firms to do all this terribly mundane work while it has staff coming out of its ears.

This is another of those state paid subsidies to the professions like you were talking about on the legal aid topic recently in the Sunday Mail.

29 October 2012 11:51
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Because it is a SHAM organisation who's sole purpose is to let the criminals off Scot-Free under the ruse that these criminals are entrepreneurs and need a soft ride, so that they go and screw the Public all over again?

They chase and harass the weak and vulnerable, not because there is benefit to the tax payer to be achieved but because they can?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

I'd like to know why the Accountant in Bankruptcy is paying out millions to private accountancy firms to do all this terribly mundane work while it has staff coming out of its ears.

This is another of those state paid subsidies to the professions like you were talking about on the legal aid topic recently in the Sunday Mail.

29 October 2012 11:51

Good point.If the AIB cant do the work then it must be unfit for purpose and should be scrapped.They have plenty of people working at their office so there's no real need to pay these millions to more accountants.This is just a racket as someone already said.

29 October 2012 14:40
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Surely Sir, you cannot be calling the repute of the upstanding AIB into doubt???

This is the same AIB who SHUT THEIR WHOLE OFFICE (YES THAT IS RIGHT THEY SHUT THE DOORS) AND TOOK THEIR ENTIRE STAFF OF 100+ TO A SWANKY HOTEL WHERE THEY TOOK PART IN AN 'ACTIVITY DAY' OF RHYTHMIC DRUMMING?????

WHICH THEY THEN CLAIMED WAS AN APPROPRIATE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, AS IT WAS A GOOD TEAM BUILDING EXPERIENCE?????

Totally BONKERS?????

Totally beyond the comprehension of any sane individual?


PS, don't tell anyone about this......it is supposed to be a secret?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The £8m on the accountants would be better spent on helping many of these people out of bankruptcy rather than as the accountants prefer holding them to trust deeds or schemes forever just to earn more fees for keeping them in limbo

29 October 2012 17:16
==================================

It's called GRAVY my friend and there is a lot of it being shared out among these criminals?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Anyone with actual experience of the AIB will tell you they are vile people as are their cohorts in the accountants club.Also that picture of their office does not do the place justice.I have been there,it is kitted out with no expenses spared all on the public purse as you rightly point out.


29 October 2012 18:04
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The lights are on but nobody is at home?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I never realised Scotland is so corrupt!This seems to run through all sectors of Scottish society and business.Not worth doing business with when your own people are treating you all like this.

30 October 2012 02:14
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Welcome to the civic champions of Scotland - the journalists at the DOI.........which is a VEIL LIFTING ENTERPRISE........all the while that the Public go about their hard working lives to make ends meet, the dark actors 'play' unseen behind the veil......?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I never realised Scotland is so corrupt!This seems to run through all sectors of Scottish society and business.Not worth doing business with when your own people are treating you all like this.

30 October 2012 02:14
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

It is a commonly held belief that Scotland is the most corrupt Country by head of population in the world?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Mr Gordon the TSB bank are owe you thousands of pounds in compensation so hang on in there.

29 October 2012 18:02
Fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffucl

Just how long can these victims exist when the criminals are holding their heads down under the water.......?

Anonymous said...

A rse-holes
I n
B other

Anonymous said...

I would rather this money went into the NHS to keep people alive or into education and NOT into the fat wallets of Crown Office crooks and to help them and their pals defeat the ends of justice?




Rev Albright

Anonymous said...

Skimming money off the top of proceeds of crime money?

Just who are the crooks these days?

Is this where all the new Mercedes & Range Rovers are being paid out of?