Money launderer is jailed Joy proves that she has the write stuff
Young Writer Award
A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to six months and 15 days in prison after being convicted of money laundering. Vilnis Cakuls, of Whitburn, allowed £10,000 of fraudulently obtained funds to be paid into his bank account before dispersing the majority of funds onto an organised crime group.
A 65- year- old male was cold called and persuaded that he needed to transfer the sum of money into a ‘safe account’. Cakuls then went to various travel exchanges in Livingston and withdrew the money in the form of Euros.
Cakuls pled guilty in May and was sentenced at Livingston Sheriff Court on Friday, June 17.
Detective Constable Barry Mercer said: “This type of fraud is called vishing, where criminals persuade victims to hand over personal details or money, over the phone. They are very good at pretending to be professionals from your bank, and making you feel as if you can trust them. If someone calls you asking to transfer money into another account, no matter who it is, don’t do it.
“A bank should never cold call and ask you to transfer money into a ‘safe account’ because of suspected fraud on your account.”
Joy Koay showed she had the write stuff when she took this year’s West Lothian’s Young Writer of the Year title.
Joy, a pupil at Carmondean Primary in Livingston, beat almost 7500 entries from 52 primary schools with her short story where the narrator wakes up on a desert island. Almost 250 guests attended the awards ceremony last week, to see Joy and 25 other winners receive awards.
Author and illustrator, Nick Sharratt, entertained the audience with an interactive ‘draw along’, where he showed how he creates his characters. Nick has also designed characters for author Jacqueline Wilson.
The event, organised by Customer and Community Services, aims to encourage creative writing and promote reading. The judges were S6 students from James Young High School who had the task of choosing the 26 winners. Carmondean Primary School picked up the Irene Brough Award.
Leader of West Lothian Council John McGinty, said: “I would like to thank all the children who participated in the Young Writer Competition this year, who along with their parents/carers, teachers and library staff have been part of making 2016 one of the most successful competitions ever. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors of the event for their support. It’s clear that our schools are doing a wonderful job in teaching our children creative writing skills, and our libraries are supporting this by offering free access to a wide range of books for children to read and further develop their literacy skills.”
West Lothian Council’s reader in residence, Harry Giles said: “I would like to congratulate all of the prize winners on their success and particularly Joy who scooped the top award to become West Lothian’s Young Writer of the Year.”