Former councillor convicted of taking thousands from charity
A DISGRACED former councillor has been convicted of taking more than £8000 from a local charity she worked for.
Yvonne Kucuk, 52, was the company secretary for the People’s Development Trust in Dalmarnock, Glasgow.
The trust ran the £3.5million Commonweath Games legacy hub in the area launched amid a fanfare by football legend Kenny Dalglish in 2015.
But, later financial concerns lead to auditors looking over the organisation’s books.
Kucuk – ex-Labour councillor for the city’s Calton – and the trust’s project manager William Faulds, 55, were eventually held by police.
A trial heard payments had been made to someone called “Johnny the Turk” for apparent literacy services.
Kucuk had also once asked a colleague to return a bag with £2000 cash inside while she was suspended.
Kucuk and Faulds could now face a possible jail term after they were convicted of embezzling £8120 from the trust, which went into administration this year.
The duo were bailed at Glasgow Sheriff Court pending sentencing next month.
But, 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.
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.
The business had also been described as “chaotic” at one stage as it moved from the city’s Bridgeton to the hub at Dalmarnock.
Kucuk was initially put on gardening leave after the audit.
The former councillor and colleague Faulds 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.”
This included a Turkish man known only as “Big Johnny” said to have helped people with english and filing in forms but the individual has never been tracked down.
She later told the trial of being shocked at the allegations.
Kucuk: “I thought this was a nightmare...my life has been ruined and I’m numb.”
Sentencing on Kucuk, of Calton, and Faulds, of Dalmarnock, was deferred for reports.