United Wholesale Scotland MD Athif Sarwar has been convicted of an £850,000 money laundering scheme at Glasgow High Court.

During a six week trial, the court heard that between 24 February and 25 April 2003 Sarwar laundered cash totalling £845,137 from a complex scam involving imported mobile phones.

The court was told that Sarwar received the cash - described in the charge as "criminal property" - by ­electronic transfer into the firm's account.

The money was then concealed, disguised or converted before it was transferred as either cash or goods to an unknown person.

Sarwar took over the running of the company in 2002 when it was split from United Wholesale Grocers, which had been built up by his grandfather, uncle and father. The latter is the Labour MP for Govan, Mohammed Sarwar.

United Wholesale Scotland is currently number 24 on The Grocer Big 30 list of the UK's largest wholesalers. In 2006 it had a turnover of £100m with profits of £500,000.

Sentencing has been ­deferred until later this month for background reports and Sarwar has been granted bail.

His co-accused, Mansoor Khan, who was the assistant manager of the cash & carry at the time of the offence, was found not guilty of any involvement.