Father and son swindled donors out of money for sick children

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 8 Apr 2009

A father and son who claimed to be raising money for sick children in order to con donors out of cash have been banned from running companies for 18 years.

Bruno Schulz and his son Paul's actions were described as "inherently objectionable" by the Insolvency Service after an investigation into their Scottish companies The Goodwill Children's Cancer Company and Rosebuds.

In a newsletter from the companies the pair claimed to have raised £1m for sick chilren, but in fact they raised only £250,000. Out of that total they paid themselves £190,000 as salary.

They also held monthly prize draws but did not pay out winnings in the majority of cases.

Investigators said the companies breached numerous regulations, including gambling laws and rules governing doorstop selling.

The companies were shut down in December 2008 and the Schulz's ban takes effect in mid-April.

Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro

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