Tycoon's ex quizzed over cash con claims

It is alleged that Jaime Duffin defrauded Mark Emlick out of cash by making false reports about being threatened and harassed.

Detectives have been passed a series of e-mails linked to the investigation and are now preparing to pass a report to the procurator fiscal.

The probe centred on allegations that Ms Duffin fabricated claims about being stalked to entice Mr Emlick to give her money.

The multi-millionaire businessman claims he paid for her to move to five different properties in a bid to protect her.

However, he became suspicious of the claims as time went on, and their relationship ended in a dispute over her pregnancy in November 2013.

Mr Emlick, 52, said: “Her actions put a considerable strain on my family and I. But it would be inappropriate to comment at this time when there is a live criminal investigation by the police into fraud and other allegations.”

Last year, Perth Sheriff Court heard Mr Emlick threatened Ms Duffin – who was pregnant with a girl at the time – telling her to have an abortion.

He admitted confronting the woman at her parents’ home in Kinross when she was around five months pregnant, and was fined £700 for what Sheriff Lindsay Foulis described as “most unpleasant” behaviour. When approached by the News about the fraud allegations, Ms Duffin, 38, said she had co-operated with police.

She said she believed Mr Emlick had made the reports to restore his reputation following the court case against him.

Ms Duffin said: “If this does reach court I welcome the opportunity to share what actually happened. I have found it all quite distressing. I have been very, very open with the police about everything.”

Property investor Mr Emlick set up Edinburgh-based Dunedin Independent plc and helped the company become one of the country’s largest private financial advisory firms with a portfolio worth more than £350 million.

It is understood he sold that firm to a Zurich-based company in 2010 for a sum in the region of £4m.

He then helped to found Consensus Capital plc, where he is currently listed as the chief executive, and he was co-founder and chairman of Strategic Investment Management Ltd.

Consensus Capital plc is a specialist real estate and private equity and asset management company.

The firm currently boasts that it is managing a combined real estate and private equity portfolio in excess  £200m.

It announced in 2013 that it was launching a £50m fund to convert offices into social housing.

The Edinburgh-based investment firm, launched by Mr Emlick in 2010, is aiming to work on 25 developments over the next two years.

A police spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh are currently investigating a report of fraud, and a report is in the process of being submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

kaye.nicolson@ edinburghnews.com