In the late 1980s, a stranger, who introduced himself as Lord Williams, appeared on the small Scottish town of Tomintoul and began purchasing nearly dilapidated properties and failing businesses, making him a celebrity.
Some neighbors immediately believed the story that he was an aristocrat, due to his perfect manners and chivalry. However, after a few years, the scandal broke out.
Anthony Williams had appropriated more than US$6.3 million from the London Metropolitan Police (known worldwide as Scotland Yard), with which he acquired a noble title and carried out numerous real estate operations in the town, until he was unmasked and imprisoned. .
However, almost 30 decades after the corruption scandal broke, Williams’ misdeeds do not receive strong condemnation in Tomintoul.
The reason? There are many neighbors who consider that they left them with positive results.
a rotten apple
The false Lord Williams was responsible for the finances of Scotland Yard and took advantage of his position to appropriate funds from the police agency, according to the judicial investigation.
For almost a decade, the officer diverted resources intended to combat the Irish Republican Army (IRA), an organization that sought independence for Northern Ireland and that for decades carried out murders, bombings and other terrorist acts.
Williams, who joined the London police in 1959, managed to rise and enjoyed the absolute trust of the commanders, which allowed him to have millions at his disposal, without control or supervision of any kind.
When his mismanagement came to light in the mid-1990s and he was imprisoned for seven and a half years, the police chiefs had to offer a public apology to the public and promised that they would take measures to prevent such events from being repeated in the country. future.
“I am angry and ashamed that the brave work of police officers has been betrayed,” said Scotland Yard’s then chief executive, Paul Condon.
Investing the “earned”
The corrupt official invested his ill-gotten gains in the quiet town of less than a thousand inhabitants and which is located in the Scottish municipality of Moray, about 900 kilometers north of London.
Williams came to Tomintoul with his wife, Kay, and bought a cottage.
After purchasing the home, he founded the Clockhouse restaurant, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in its renovation. He also owned a hotel and bought other properties.
When he was arrested in 1994 at his home in New Malden, a neighborhood southwest of the British capital, some locals feared it could lead Tomintoul to become a ghost town.
Dru McPherson, current owner of the Clockhouse restaurant, recalled when Williams showed up in town.
“We have to go back 35 years,” he told BBC Scotland News reporter Ken Banks.
“He was a very low-profile man, without airs or pretensions, he was simply a businessman who came to town to revitalize it,” he explained.
“He started here with the Clockhouse, which was previously a store. He completely tore the building down from the roof to the basement,” McPherson added.
“This was a $1.5 million project. The exterior walls are now attached to a frame of beams that hold the entire building in place and will hold it for the next 200 years,” he said.
“At that moment I remember thinking: why would someone spend this amount of money on Tomintoul?” he admitted.
However, he immediately added: “But without these investors one wonders what would be left in towns like this.”
McPherson assured that no one in the town had any idea of the irregularities perpetrated by Williams.
“We didn’t realize until the police showed up in town with their funny hats, because the London police wear those distinctive uniforms. And the raids began,” he recalled.
“The initial reaction was shock and surprise. In retrospect, you look back and say, ‘yeah, we should have realized that,'” he conceded.
A Robin Hood of the 20th century
Despite admitting that “theft or other types of irregularities cannot be tolerated,” the owner of Clockhouse is one of those who believes that the destination that the corrupt officer gave to the stolen funds was ultimately something positive for the town.
“Although Tony Williams was proven to be a criminal, what he stole he spent in Tomintoul,” he said.
“My point is that if I hadn’t, the properties and businesses we see today simply wouldn’t exist. They would be piles of rubble,” the merchant explained.
“Their actions have lasted 30 years, employing people and maintaining the sustainability of the town,” he added.
“I’m not saying criminals are needed, but investments are needed,” McPherson added.
When asked what he would say to Williams if he had the chance to talk to him, McPherson responded: “You have done a lot of good in this area, legally or illegally. The buildings and the jobs would not exist and for that, well done “.
The position of the owner of the Clockhouse restaurant is not unique. Mona Grant, 86, also believes that Williams, whom she remembers as “a very intelligent man,” did things for the town.
“He stole money, but he renovated some hotels and stuff. I guess he did something good,” the woman told BBC Scotland News reporter Ken Banks.
The woman said she had only exchanged greetings with the corrupt officer, but found him “quite nice.”
She admitted that when she learned the truth she was “a little devastated.”
“Most of the properties he acquired were improved, but the way he did it was unfortunate,” said Ebeth Coutts, another resident of the town.
Duncan McGregor, 74, spoke in similar terms, saying: “(Williams) did good to Tomintoul, there is no doubt about that, but with stolen money.”
For her part, June Ferguson, 79, said: “He did a wonderful job with other people’s money, something we could all do.”
an earthquake
The corruption scandal involving Williams ended in the British Parliament.
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee criticized the police for a lack of checks and their inability to uncover officer misconduct early.
Robert Sheldon, who chaired the committee, found it incredible that Williams had been “living the life of a lord in Scotland” for so long, without anyone noticing.
“We found it astonishing that a civil servant could have lived such a life, buying hotels and becoming an important figure in a small town, while coming to London to ensure that sums of money were available,” he added.
“Williams got away with it (…) and I find it strange that no one was aware of his lifestyle,” he concluded.
Almost three decades later, it is possible that the case has been forgotten in the United Kingdom as a whole, but not in Tomintoul, where the corrupt officer’s adventures continue to generate controversy.
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BBC-NEWS-SRC: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/cjrpzvqx2g8o, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-12-04 11:00:07
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