Ogilvie admits to profiting from EBTs

Scottish Football Association president Campbell Ogilvie has moved to clarify his role in the Rangers contracts issue but his bid to quell speculation over his future is unlikely to halt.

The former Rangers company secretary and director, pictured, insisted he had no involvement in drawing up player contracts after the mid-1990s but he admitted profiting from the club’s employee benefit trusts (EBTs), which were in use from 2001 to 2010.

The EBTs, which typically allow employees to receive benefits from a discretionary fund, are the subject of an ongoing tax dispute. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs are claiming £36.5million plus interest and penalties from Rangers and a verdict is due soon on a tribunal held two months ago.

The offshore funds, which cannot typically be stipulated on contracts for tax reasons, are also the subject of a Scottish Premier League investigation into the “alleged non-disclosure of payments to players by or on behalf of Rangers” from 1998.

The SFA’s recent inquiry into Rangers briefly incorporated allegations of undisclosed payments until the SPL took over the case. Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray says there were no dual contracts following claims to the contrary from former director Hugh Adam, who left in 2002.

Ogilvie who left Rangers in 2005, said: “I was aware of the EBT scheme in operation at Rangers during my time at the club and, indeed, was a member. The existence of the scheme was published in Rangers’ annual accounts.

“My role at Rangers, until the mid-90s, included finalising the paperwork for player registrations. As confirmed by Sir David Murray, it was never my role to negotiate contracts during my time at Rangers. It is also worth noting that, since the mid-90s, I was not responsible for the drafting or administering of player contracts. I ceased being company secretary in 2002 and became general secretary responsible for football strategy, in effect becoming the main point of contact between the club and the respective league and governing bodies. “I can confirm that I asked to be excluded from the Scottish FA’s independent inquiry into Rangers. In the interests of good governance it was absolutely right that this was the case.”