The accountant whose head turned up in Scotland's Firth of Clyde last month – after he went missing last February – may have been murdered by criminals involved in fraud fearful he may assist authorities.
Andrew Ramsay was allegedly abducted by two men claiming to be policeman on 22 February last year.
Police confirmed yesterday that 51-year-old Ramsay of Glasgow had in fact been twice interviewed by officers from HM Revenue and Customs, investigating a 'carousel' fraud.
The inquiry showed that Ramsay himself was not guilty of any crime.
Detective Superintendent Willie Prendergast said: 'What we don't know is what interpretation other people put on those interviews.'
Police had scaled down their investigation but efforts have begun afresh, gearing up for a major inquiry into what they described as 'an unexplained death that is being treated at the highest level'.
In January last year, Ramsay was interviewed by customs investigators, who also searched his family home in Bearsden. This frightened Mr Ramsay, who allegedly told a friend: 'I think I could be in trouble - I'm in too deep and know too much,' The Scotsman reported.
Police used DNA samples to confirm the head – recovered from the river by a fishing boat - belonged to the missing accountant.
Prendergast told a press conference yesterday that the skull had been in the water for 'many months' and that police were now seeking the expertise of marine officials to analyse tidal flows in an attempt to trace any other body parts.
Forensic experts are also set to conduct further tests to establish how the head came to be separated from the rest of the body.
Said Prendergast: 'The confirmation that this skull belongs to Andrew Ramsay is going to cause the people involved in his abduction to sleep uneasily.'
Any person with information, is asked to contact the CID at Helen Street Police Office on telephone number 0141 532 5436. Alternatively, telephone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.
Further reading:
Skull of missing Glasgow accountant found
A place of beauty finally reveals Drew Ramsay's fate, but still so many questions
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