RANGERS administrators Duff & Phelps have dismissed claims by former owner Craig Whyte that they knew he was using season ticket money to help fund the purchase of the club.
Charles Green, the club's chief executive, has also been forced to come out and strongly deny further allegations made by the former Ibrox owner.
Whyte claimed Duff & Phelps representatives, under its previous entity MCR, were aware he was raising more than £20 million through selling off season-ticket income to the London-based Ticketus to facilitate his £1 takeover of Rangers from Sir David Murray in May 2011, and pay off an £18m debt to Lloyds.
Mr Whyte said he was surprised they were allowed to take the administration on "because of the conflicts they had" and accused the company of being "just interested in making as much money as possible".
Duff & Phelps said Whyte's claim they knew of the deal was "false, malicious and without foundation".
The administrators added: "They should not be given any credibility given the source. It should be remembered that Mr Whyte's takeover of Rangers is now the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation and we have provided evidence to that inquiry.
"In addition, as administrators, we instigated legal proceedings against Mr Whyte's solicitors in the High Court in London and those proceedings are centred round the very serious allegation that Mr Whyte was involved in a conspiracy that deprived Rangers of many millions of pounds."Last night, Rangers chief executive Charles Green also dismissed another claim by Mr Whyte in a BBC interview that he introduced the Sevco executive to Duff & Phelps as the administrators searched for a buyer for the club.
Mr Green said: "Yet again Craig Whyte's version of events paints a misleading picture of what actually happened and it's regrettable the BBC is providing him with such a platform.
"The facts are that direct contact was made by our consortium with Craig Whyte in the first instance as it appeared at that time his shares would have to be secured in order for any purchase of the club to progress.
"I was not present when contact was initially made but subsequently met Craig Whyte, who introduced me to the administrator. I had no previous association with Craig Whyte and it is misleading to suggest he brought us in."
Whyte blamed the grave financial state of Rangers on Sir David Murray and the old board of directors, saying the use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) – which saw the club hit with a multi- million-pound tax bill – was "ruinous".
The businessman said he was only "driving the train when it crashed" and did not set it on its path. He also claimed he knew the club was a "financial basket case" before he signed on the dotted line to buy Rangers, and that there was a "high likelihood" it would go into administration.
l Football players in Scotland are unlikely to see their wages rise as most SPL clubs do not expect to make any money this season, according to business advice firm PKF.
It said a "widening gap" could emerge between the wages paid to players in Scotland compared to their English counterparts.
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