GOC rejects appeal by fraudster

A former Royal Bank of Scotland manager who carried out one of Scotland's biggest frauds involving £21m has had an appeal to register as a student dispensing optician rejected by the General Optical Council.

Donald Mackenzie, who was jailed in June 2006 and wanted to begin DO training in September 2010, can now challenge the appeal rejection in the Court of Session in Scotland. The hearing last week, chaired by Lady Margaret Wall, was given evidence of 'startling dishonesty involving sums which are barely credible over a period of some four and a half years'.

However, they were told that Mackenzie, who was RBS business manager of the year for three years in a row, 'has been a model prisoner who has been assessed as very unlikely to re-offend. Moreover, he has been supported in his aspiration by a member of this profession'.