Walker denied stealing 'a single penny': Jury hears of statements to SFO

GEORGE WALKER, former chairman and chief executive of Brent Walker, denied to detectives that he had stolen money from his property and leisure empire, a jury was told yesterday.

Interviewed by officers of the Serious Fraud Office about millions of pounds allegedly stolen from the company, Mr Walker denied that he had taken a 'single penny'.

In police interviews read to the court, he stated: 'If money was stolen, there would be no one helping (you) more than me . . . There is no way I have bloody had it (the money). That's guaranteed. I have not had a single penny out of Brent Walker.'

It is alleged that money was siphoned out of Brent Walker, laundered through international accounts and returned to the company to create an image of a growing, profitable company. A series of bogus film deals were created to give a false impression of Brent Walker's financial stability, the prosecution alleges.

Mr Walker told police: 'My dealing and selling always made a profit for Brent Walker.' But he said he never became involved in the detail of individual deals. 'I had too much on my bloody plate. I was working from eight in the morning to eight at night, seven bloody days a week . . .'

Questioned about a letter authorising the transfer of pounds 7.5m from Brent Walker's film subsidiary, Goldcrest, to a family trust based in Bermuda, Mr Walker said he knew nothing of the movement of funds.

Mr Walker and Wilfred Aquilina, former finance director of Brent Walker group, deny charges of false accounting, conspiracy and theft. The trial, now in its third month, continues.