Ronald Birnie Anderson (71), of Edinburgh, has signed a 10-year disqualification undertaking after he allowed several companies to make loans to connected companies and himself worth more than £5 million.
The loans were derived from money invested by clients using their pension pots and had no realistic prospect of repayment.
Effective from 21 October 2010, Ronald Anderson is banned from being involved, directly or indirectly, in the formation, promotion or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Ronald Anderson was the director of three companies. Quantum Global Introducers Ltd, would solicit business and refer clients on to the other two companies, Quantum Global Investments and Juno Biotechnology Ltd for investment opportunities.
All three companies were incorporated between 2011 and 2012, and operated until late 2016, when Quantum Global Introducers and Quantum Global Investments entered voluntary liquidation proceedings, and Juno Biotechnology was wound up by order of the court. These proceedings brought them to the attention of the Insolvency Service, which investigated the causes of the businesses' failures, and the conduct of the directors.
Investigators found that Quantam Global Investments and Juno Biotechnology had received over £12 million in pension investments.
Ronald Anderson, however, caused the two companies to make loans of at least £4.5 million to the third company, Quantum Global Introducers, which remained outstanding at the liquidation.
The investment boss also caused the two companies to make loans to him personally worth over £250,000 before causing Quantum Global Introducers to make further loans to Ronald Anderson and back to the two other connected companies worth close to £400,000.
All the loans to the connected companies and Ronald Anderson were taken from pension investments and were detrimental to the pension scheme members.
Robert Clarke, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:
Ronald Anderson failed utterly in his duty to safeguard the investments of his clients, using their money instead as loans to his other, unprofitable businesses. The impact of this on the individuals affected cannot be understated, and the length of this disqualification reflects the seriousness of his actions.
Any company directors who treat their investors' funds in this way can expect a thorough investigation from the Insolvency Service and a lengthy disqualification if misconduct is found.
Notes
Ronald Birnie Anderson is of Edinburgh and his date of birth is May 1948.
Juno Biotechnology Limited (SC 406770).
Quantum Global Investments Limited (07877108).
Quantum Global Introducers Limited (SC 415847).
Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.
Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of restrictions.
