TWO Scots brothers are being hunted by investigators as part of an alleged £13 million fraud probe.
David Black, also known as David Diaz and David Stark, and Ludovic Black, also known as Victor Black, are wanted for questioning by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as part of the investigation.
Mr Black and Mr Diaz, former directors of Solar Energy Savings Limited which is at the centre of the SFO probe, failed to attend Blacon and Runcorn police stations in Cheshire last month.
The suspected fraud is estimated to have lost its victims across the UK up to £13m, according to the SFO.
The fugitive pair are wanted for questioning in relation to suspected fraud and conspiracy offences believed to have happened between July 1, 2011 and January 18, 2013.
They were last know to live in the Cheshire and Greater Manchester area.
A statement from the SFO said: "Any members of the public who have information relating to the current whereabouts of either man can contact the SFO, in confidence."
The investigation came after information was handed to the fraud office by Greater Manchester Police and concerns the companies Solar Energy Savings Limited, PV Solar Direct Limited and Ultra Energy Global Limited.
The SFO began the major probe in December 2014 to investigate the selling of solar panels to customers of Solar Energy Savings Limited and the offer of a "360 Returns Scheme" promising customers to have returned to them 100 per cent of their purchase on maturity.
It was earlier reported the firm generated more than £50m of turnover by marketing and selling solar panel systems to the public before being wound up following an investigation by The Insolvency Service in 2012.
It was found then that the firm engaged in "serious misselling practices" during home visits to potential customers.
The Insolvency Service added that the company's staff used high-pressure sales tactics, misrepresentation and other illegal or irregular sales practices when speaking to potential customers across the UK.
It was wound up by the High Court in Manchester following a petition presented in the public interest by the Government following an inquiry by Company Investigations, which is part of The Insolvency Service, Manchester Evening News reported.
It did not carry out the installation of solar panels but contacted prospective customers via a series of telephone marketing calls, leading to a home visit by a salesman.
One of the findings of that inquiry was that customers were subjected to a sales pitch lasting more than two hours and signed contracts "merely to get the salesman to leave their homes" and another was that salesmen consistently overstated the performance of the panels and the return on investment likely to be achieved by the customer.
Solar also induced customers to sign a contract with the promise that they would receive the full amount of their purchase price back after five years through a scheme falsely said to be underwritten by an international company called Capital Suisse.
They were also incorrectly told that the system could be reinstalled free of charge if they moved home.
At a trial at the time, Solar did not admit the allegations but did not object to the winding-up order.
Scott Crighton, the investigation supervisor, said that "Solar Energy Savings Limited persistently and deliberately flouted both statutory regulations and industry-standard selling practices in order to generate sales",
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