Rangers owner Craig Whyte is facing allegations that he may have lied in court over his business dealings but the businessman denies any wrongdoing.

A court transcript published by the BBC appears to show Mr Whyte being asked about his disqualification in a case in the Sheriff Court last year.

He told the court: “This is going back to matters some time. I don't have any recollection of what it was about just now."

He was then asked: "You can't remember why you were banned for seven years?"

Mr Whyte replied: "Well, I'm not going to say in open court and get it wrong."

The Rangers owner was then asked: "Was it anything to do with the treatment of creditors?" He replied: "No."

The BBC reported that the official ruling regarding his seven-year disqualification from operating a company included a reference to company assets were being “put out of reach of creditors on a somewhat dubious and delayed basis”.

Mr Whyte issued a statement through a spokesman rebutting the claim and accusing the BBC of “a witch-hunt”.

He said: “These accusations, which are simply a variation on what the BBC already alleged in a documentary riddled with inaccuracies and falsehoods and broadcast last year, are defamatory and clearly form part of a concerted campaign by the BBC to embarrass Craig Whyte personally and to damage Rangers Football Club.

“In specific terms, Mr Whyte totally refutes the scurrilous allegation that he may have committed perjury in a court of law in December last year. The responses he gave to questions relating to matters that took place some 17 years ago were given truthfully and to the best of his recollection.

“In the BBC’s documentary last year, the accusation was made that Mr Whyte could have been guilty of criminal activity. Yet, neither before nor since the broadcast, has there been any criminal investigation into any aspect of Mr Whyte’s business dealings.

“This renewed attack by the BBC, as with matters that were aired by the BBC last year, are in the hands of Mr Whyte’s lawyers and will be contested robustly.
 
“There has been no offer by the BBC to provide any documentary proof in support their accusations.

“Mr Whyte is in no doubt that this latest attack is part of a concerted campaign to damage both him and Rangers FC and follows the decision by the club to withdraw co-operation with the corporation. This was as a result of the documentary broadcast last year which also made a series of false and defamatory claims.”

The BBC said that it had not received any defamation writ from Mr Whyte following last year’s documentary.