A LAW undergraduate has denied knowingly becoming involved in a Russian money-making scam.

Keith Fuller told Teesside Crown Court he thought Terisav Limited was a legitimate business operating from Russia that imported and exported fish and vodka.

He said he had been asked to become the firm's UK partner and that he was responsible for receiving money from clients into his bank accounts and transferring it to St Petersburg via a money transfer company.

The 49-year-old, of Prospect View, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said he had been unemployed before he took up the position, but had previously worked in business management.

He is accused of five counts of money-laundering after money was taken from three victims' bank accounts in September and deposited into his account before he transferred it abroad. Mr Fuller denies all the counts, and there is no suggestion he was responsible for stealing £30,000 out of the victims' bank accounts.

He said he received an e-mail from Terisav asking him if he would be its UK partner.

He told the jury: "They said they were based in Russia. They gave a link for me to get details from their website.

"It said they were going to open up offices in the UK and they were looking for a UK partner.

"It looked really professional. I did not know what the banking arrangements were in Russia.

"I presumed they wanted to use an English bank account."

Mr Fuller said he did not think it was unusual that the company, which has never been traced, had asked him to destroy paperwork, saying they told him they did not require the papers any more.

The defendant said he never spoke to anyone from the company and had not received a contract of employment.

The jury has retired to consider its verdicts.