Ex-Glasgow councillor guilty of taking £8,000 charity cash Published duration 30 April 2019

image copyright Spindrift image caption Yvonne Kucuk embezzled more then £8,500 from the People's Development Trust

A former councillor has been convicted of taking more than £8,000 from a local charity where she worked.

Yvonne Kucuk, 52, was the company secretary for the People's Development Trust in Dalmarnock, Glasgow.

The trust ran the £3.5m Commonwealth Games legacy hub in the area, which was launched by football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish in 2015.

But, later financial concerns led to auditors looking over the organisation's books.

Kucuk - ex-Labour councillor for the city's Calton area - and the trust's project manager William Faulds, 55, were eventually held by police.

A trial heard that payments had been made to someone called "Johnny the Turk" for apparent literacy services. The individual was never traced.

Key role

Kucuk and Faulds were convicted of embezzling £8,120 from the trust, which went into administration this year.

They were bailed at Glasgow Sheriff Court pending sentencing next month.

Sheriff Mary McCrory told them: "It is unthinkable for someone with financial responsibility for the trust to act this way.

"There is a serious breach of trust at the heart of this embezzlement and I reject your evidence."

The hub facility housed a range or services such as IT training and a nursery - creating dozens of jobs.

Kucuk played a key role in the project.

No receipts

However, issues later emerged leading to a financial probe.

A number of cheque stubs made out to "cash" were discovered - but there were no corresponding receipts or paperwork.

Kucuk, from Calton, and Faulds, from Dalmarnock, denied embezzling the cash between January 2015 and 2016.

She told the trial: "We paid a number of people in cash. It was to keep the money locally in the community. It is normal practice."

It also emerged she got Faulds to co-sign blank cheques, which he denied.

She told the court: "I would ask William at the office and complete the rest at the bank."

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