The discovery that Nigerian businessman Victor Bassey owes thousands of pounds for his wedding will come as no surprise to those who have had previous dealings with him. Joe Willis reports.

THE list of people known to be owed money by the entrepreneur Victor Bassey grows longer by the day.

Every story published prompts more calls from disgruntled creditors.

Employees, landlords, communication companies, carpet suppliers and cheque cashing shops have all been left out of pocket after coming into contact with the businessman.

The scale of the debts were uncovered by The Northern Echo following the collapse of his company Excelsis Airways.

Excelsis’ plans to re-establish air links between Durham Tees Valley Airport and London were revealed in May.

However, last month, Mr Bassey was arrested as part of a fraud squad investigation launched after concerns were raised by former Excelsis employees who resigned after not getting paid.

Prior to the demise of Excelsis, Mr Bassey married Comfort Awunor at St Paul’s Church, in Spennymoor, County Durham.

The church is yards from his former home in the town’s Edward Street, where the businessman still owes more than £3,000 in rent.

Guests travelled from Africa and America to attend the wedding.

The bride looked dazzling in a traditional white dress with veil and glittering jewellery.

The groom also looked good in a three-piece suit with a rose buttonhole.

No expense appears to have been spared – the only problem was that for some of the suppliers, the expense fell on them.

When he contacted videographers Moving Picture Productions, Mr Bassey asked for the best package they did.

The company spent the day following the groom from his then home in Grange Road, Middlesbrough, to the church and on to the reception at the Bowburn Hall Hotel, near Durham City. They also accompanied the bride as she got ready at the hotel and then travelled to the church.

On the finished video, members of the bride’s family, who had flown in from the US the previous day, tell the camera how they have just met Mr Bassey for the first time.

Nick Donnelly, director of the video company, said Mr Bassey’s behaviour throughout the day was “bizarre”.

After arriving late, the groom disappeared to apparently buy wedding rings.

Later, at the reception, Mr Bassey explains during his speech that none of his family could be present because of changes in venues and dates for the wedding.

Asked why the cake was an airplane, Mr Bassey told the videographers that he “chartered flights”.

Mr Donnelly said: “Later, I believed him when he said he was struggling for the money, but that he would pay. At the start of each week I would come into the office and say to colleagues, ‘This is the week I will get the money’, but I never did.”

The excuses told to Mr Donnelly will no doubt ring a chord with other creditors who received cheques that would later bounce and were left waiting at serval meeting places.

Vicky Wiltshire was hired by Mr Bassey as a personal assistant to the Excelsis chief executive.

Only once during her month-long spell with the company, can she remember her boss putting his hand in his pocket and paying for something.

She said: “Myself and a colleague waited at the bank for about an hour after he said he would give us some money.

He eventually turned up and said ‘lets go and get a coffee’.

“That was the only time he paid for anything.”

The gesture proved hollow, however, as Mr Bassey’s promise over the coffee that he had paid money into their banks later proved to be false.