Whyte and Green in court over Rangers aquisition

Six men have appeared in court over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers.

The Glasgow football club's former owner Craig Whyte, 44, and ex-chief executive Charles Green, 62, were among those who attended the High Court in Edinburgh.

Gary Withey, 51, David Grier, 54, David Whitehouse, 50, and Paul Clark, 51, also appeared for the preliminary hearing.

Whyte, with Withey, Grier, Whitehouse and Clark, are charged with conspiring together to acquire and obtain by fraud a majority and controlling stake in the shareholding of the club.

Prosecutors claim they did "conspire to and obtain sums amounting... to £28,262,094 by fraud".

It is alleged they were then able to acquire "85.3% of the issued capital of the club for £1 by fraud and did thus obtain a majority and controlling stake in the shareholding of the club".

Green is charged with various allegations, including that he and others "did agree to do something that (they) knew or suspected or ought reasonably have known or suspected would enable or further the commission of serious organised crime".

The case called in a public court for the first time last October when prosecutors brought eight charges.

At the latest hearing, 15 charges were contained in a 28-page indictment.

Judge Lord Bannatyne set a date for the case to call again later this month.