Pizza boss nicked £1m of our dough
Energy firm claims contractor funnelled cash to his own firms
A takeaway pizza boss has been accused of conning almost £1million from an energy firm.
Edinburgh- based ex- oil contractor Grant Clouston duped Norwegian’s DNO out of the cash and funnelled the funds to front companies, it has been claimed in papers lodged at the Court of Session.
Clouston, 36, who runs two branches of Nkd pizza in Edinburgh, is accused of having obtained money through a “web of deception”.
It has been claimed he carried out the fraud while working in Dubai for Rak Petroleum between 2008 and 2012.
The papers say part of his job was to find subcontractors for DNO to buy and manage drilling equipment and other supplies.
DNO say Clouston siphoned off payments of £ 380,000, £ 95,000 and £ 440,000 to two firms he controlled. One was based in the Seychelles.
DNO also say Clouston, of the capital’s Stockbridge, overcharged them by as much as 150 per cent and falsified invoices.
It has been claimed they bought drilling gear for £240,000 which had been sourced for £140,000 and kept at least £94,000 profit.
The £ 915,000 action was first raised against the dad of two in 2017.
In January last year, judge Lord Bannatyne threw out DNO’s claim.
Three judges allowed the compensation case to go ahead after overturning that decision following an appeal.
They also ruled that, though the alleged fraud took place in the United Arab Emirates, DNO’s claim could be heard in a Scottish court.
The compensation claim has been raised in Edinburgh by DNO Oman, a subsidiary of Oslo-based DNO.
Clouston claims he was engaged in legitimate consultancy work for DNO.
He added: “I’m very surprised and disappointed at the appeal judgment.
“I’ ll be consulting my legal team to decide our next steps. I have done nothing wrong.”
No one from DNO responded to our request for a comment.