A former Rangers chairman has questioned whether Craig Whyte has fulfilled his obligations as owner of the club.

Alastair Johnston released a statement on the situation at the Ibrox club on Wednesday night, which highlighted issues with Mr Whyte’s takeover of Rangers.

In the letter, which was also submitted to administrators Duff and Phelps, Mr Johnston questioned whether the £18m owed by the club to Mr Whyte should be "automatically extinguished" if parts of the purchase agreement, including a pledge to put £11.7m into the club, have not been followed through.

This came after the Rangers owner admitted that he cleared the £18m debt to Lloyds Banking Group using £24.4m he got from selling future season ticket sales to finance company Ticketus, meaning that he did not fund the takeover of the club.

In his letter, Mr Johnston highlighted the statement released by Sir David Murray, who sold Rangers to Mr Whyte for a nominal £1, where he stated Murray International Holdings wrote to Rangers FC Group, formally known as Wavetower, "seeking confirmation that its various obligations were being complied with".

Mr Johnston added: "As you know, the status of the club at this time is precarious, but efforts involving investors and/or supporters are being developed to initiate and execute a recovery to self-standing sustainability.

"Wavetower’s (Craig Whyte’s) leverage during this process is a function of his purported position as the primary secured creditor by dint of the £18m loan which he claims he has provided to the club on an unencumbered basis.

"If, however, this entitlement cannot be sustained based on any breach as referred to above thus precipitating the extinction of the loan in question, then the options for charting a course for reconstitution of Rangers Football Club will be much more readily identifiable.

"I, therefore, believe that it would serve the public interest for the administrators to make a full declaration with respect to relevant compliance."

Mr Whyte is believed to be one of the only secured creditors at Ibrox, meaning that he will be first in line for payment before administrators can hope to agree a creditors voluntary arrangement.

When they took over the club last week, the administrators said they were looking into the "validity" of Mr Whyte’s position as secured creditor.

Under the terms of the purchase agreement from Murray International Holdings, Mr Whyte pledged to invest £5m in the playing squad, £5m in working capital and £1.7m for kitchen improvements and new big screens at Ibrox.