A “devious” ex bankrupt who helped found a firm that won a £50,000 publicly-funded prize has been reported to prosecutors following a police probe.

Stephen Roberts, one of the figures behind healthcare company Log Six Systems (LSS), was investigated over whether he had complied with a ban stopping him from being a company director.

In 2013, LSS won £50,000 at the Scottish Edge awards, a Dragon’s Den style competition run by Scottish Enterprise.

The medical start-up claimed to have developed a chemical product that could kill all superbugs "known to man".

Roberts and a former LSS associate were handed the prize by finance secretary John Swinney.

However, questions were raised after the Sunday Herald published details of Roberts’ chequered business history.

He had been disqualified from holding a directorship for four years in 2010 after he had “failed to ensure” a previous company had paid its tax.

Innova Business Solutions owed the taxman nearly £300,000 at the time of liquidation.

A tribunal judge said of Roberts: “In cross examination he was evasive and devious.”

He was then made bankrupt.

The directorship ban also prevented Roberts from taking part, “whether directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company”.

He was never a director of LSS, but he played a role in the firm.

He was filmed on crowd-funding site Square Knot saying: “We kill superbugs, but we can do it 12 times faster and 100 times cheaper than existing disinfectant methods.

"Log Six has the ability to save lives, time and money on a global scale with proven technology to a global problem. And with your help we can make it happen faster."

In another video, Roberts addressed an audience at Heriot-Watt University and said: "We have developed a high-efficacy disinfectant chemical, which has been proven to kill every pathogen known to man."

A change of ownership within LSS prompted Scottish Enterprise to withhold some of the prize money.

"We expect the companies we support to be open and transparent with us and as Log Six Systems failed to share this important information we have taken the decision to cease our relationship with the company," a spokesperson said at the time.

It then emerged that Police Scotland had been making enquiries about Roberts’ activities at LSS.

A spokesperson confirmed last week that a report had been sent to the procurator fiscal in June:

“We can confirm that a 47-year-old man has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in connection with the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.”

It is understood the report relates to section 13 of the Act, which focuses on criminal penalties if an individual contravenes a disqualification order.

However, Roberts has not been charged.

A Crown Office spokesperson said: “The Procurator Fiscal has received a report concerning a 47-year-old man in connection with alleged incidents between September 2011 and July 2014.

“The report remains under the consideration of the Procurator Fiscal.”

Roberts said: “As you have previously reported, five years ago I took a voluntary undertaking, restricting me from holding a UK company directorship which I disclosed to all relevant individuals. A legally compliant corporate governance structure was put in place to ensure I did not breach the terms of those restrictions while I continued to assist in the development of health technology solutions under difficult conditions.

"The restrictions imposed on me expired over a year ago. In May I voluntarily cooperated with Police Scotland and I was not then, nor have I since been charged with any crime of any nature”.