The former head of a students’ charity has admitted swindling the organisation out of £16,000.
Jacqueline McKay, or Williams, took the cash while employed as the chief executive of Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA).
During the offence, which took place over a 15-month period, the 49-year-old produced fake invoices supposedly relating to business expenditure.
Williams had been due to stand trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, but pled guilty before the trial started.
She had been accused of obtaining £30,956 through the fraudulent scheme, but prosecutors amended the charge to the lower amount of £16,000 and Williams accepted her guilt.
According to court documents, Williams submitted “false invoices along with claim forms” while “knowing that these claims were false or represented transactions you were not entitled to make”, causing AUSA to pay her £16,000.
The offence took place between August 19 2014 and November 16 the following year.
Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill deferred sentence on Williams, whose address was given in court papers as Dollar, Clackmannanshire, until next month.
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She said: “Given the nature of the charge you have pled guilty to, I’m going to call for reports.”
Williams did not comment as she left court.
A spokesman for the students’ association said: “AUSA has no comment to make at this stage.”
Williams joined AUSA – which is an independent charity representing students and raising cash for local causes – in June 2014.
She was involved with a £10 million project to build a new student union for the university during her time in Aberdeen.
After the allegations came to light in early 2016, the university confirmed she was no longer working there.
An interim chief executive was appointed in 2016, with a job advert for the post offering £65,000 a year to the successful applicant.
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