Haulier Jailed for Fraudulent Police Escort Invoices
James Campbell, the former director of West of Scotland Heavy Haulage, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for a major fraud involving police escort contracts. The Airdrie Sheriff Court found Campbell guilty of altering paperwork for services provided by police forces in Scotland and Wales, leading to overcharges of £110,000.
Campbell inflated invoices from the Scottish Police Authority and South Wales Police, overcharging the Spanish company Siemens Gamesa for the transportation of wind turbine parts. The fraudulent activities were uncovered by Police Scotland’s economic crime unit, revealing that Campbell had falsified the invoices to extract additional funds from the Navarra-based firm.
The need for police escorts was due to the large size of the wind farm components being transported. Concerns about the authenticity of the invoices were first raised by a Siemens Gamesa staff member in 2017.
Campbell now faces confiscation action under proceeds of crime legislation to recover the fraudulently obtained money.
Les Brown, Procurator Fiscal for South Strathclyde, commented, “This was a brazen example of an individual inflicting serious financial harm on an overseas company and its employees. James Campbell was involved in a fraudulent enterprise concerning a significant sum of money.”
