Ex-councillor claims ‘fraud’ cash used to pay ‘Big Johnny’
A FORMER councillor who denies embezzling £8000 told a court the money was used to fund a gala day and pay a tutor known as “Big Johnny.”
Yvonne Kucuk, 52, said she withdrew £3500 out of the People’s Development Trust’s account for the community event.
Kucuk, from Calton, was in charge of the organisation which provided services, including numeracy and literacy classes, in the city’s Dalmarnock.
She is on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court along with William Faulds, 55, who was the project manager.
They deny embezzling £8120 from the trust between January 2015 and January 2016.
In evidence, Kucuk, Calton’s former Labour councillor, admitted that only £1200 of the £3500 cash withdrawn was spent on food, drink and balloons for the event.
She said: “I took £3500 as I thought that is what they would be using.”
She claimed the rest of the cash was put in a bag and returned to the Development Trust several months after the gala day.
The court heard the cheque stub did not mention the gala day, but an activities provider called Urban Fox.
Kucuk said: “The cheque to cash for £3500 was used for the gala day. I didn’t have an explanation why it said Urban Fox, I was thinking what is going on here?”
The accused said she attempted to return around £2000 to the trust’s Personal Assistant Maureen Burke including receipts for the gala day.
She told the court a Turkish tutor, nicknamed ‘Big Johnny’, was paid cash to help people with form filing and English.
She said: “We paid a number of people in cash, it was to keep the money locally in the community, it’s normal practice.”
She was put on gardening leave after an audit of the Trust’s accounts was carried out.
A number of cheque stubs made out to “cash” were discovered, but there was no corresponding receipts or paperwork.
During the investigation Ms Kucuk claimed the cash was used to pay a tutor for adult classes, and a gala day.
Ms Burke, who worked for the organisation for about two years, said the business was “chaotic” during the months it took to complete the move from Baltic Street to Springfield Road.
The trial continues.