You will not recall an earlier time when the Lord Advocate made an unreserved apology to parliament and the Scottish taxpayer for a wrongful prosecution because it has never happened before. Yesterday, the incumbent of that position since 2016, James Wolffe QC, did just that over the persecution of Rangers’ administrators, David Whitehouse and Paul Clark. Each man received £10.5m compensation, an astonishing 20% of the annual Crown Office budget. The total cost of the fiasco is likely to exceed double this amount, possibly as high as £50m.
That’s not all. Last year Whitehouse and Clark settled an action for wrongful arrest against Police Scotland for a figure that those in power have decided you and I should never find out.
The case stood on the selective use of evidence. Police and prosecutors were in possession of the legendary Charlotte Fakes files, some of which proved Whitehouse and Clark were innocent of the charges, but those documents were not made available to the defence. It is the same modus operandi used to lock up the Guilford Four, who police had evidence of their innocence, but who spent 15 years in prison.
Roddy Dunlop, QC for Whitehouse, demanded answers as to why the arrests and subsequent prosecutions took place. He is not alone, although I suspect Mr Dunlop, you and I have a fair idea. The Crown acknowledged the prosecutions, which started in 2014, were “malicious” – a huge word for the Lord Advocate to use about his prosecution services.
What’s it to you? The criminal and prosecution service acted maliciously in the matter of who controlled the assets of a football club, in Scotland, between 2014 – 2018. The two administrators, their employer Duff & Phelps and those they associated with over the sale of Rangers assets, faced grassroots opposition to their actions.
You may wonder if the might of the Scottish state bent (which it did) in tandem with this opposition (which has yet to be determined). Opposition MSPs have called for a public inquiry, the Scottish Government do not want you to know what happened, so are opposed to this request. A status that will hold at least until May’s elections.
…..and they still ask why I’m not a member of the cult?
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CONEYBHOY on 10TH FEBRUARY 2021 2:05 PM
‘those two lads are senior guys in Duff and Phelps (massive global company) and still work there. if there was a sniff of impropriety, they would have been pumped out.’
###
So how come the compo is so eye wateringly high? What financial losses have they incurred?
I see the Green Brigade has walked the well known path of Walker, Provan, Nicholas etc and conspiring with the media against Celtic. This collaboration seems to be that their agenda will be given a voice when it’s anti Celtic. This is common with BBC Scotland, Sky, Clyde, Sun Record, Herald and this case Evening Times are happy not only to give a platform for anti Celtic comments. In fact, if the comments are pro-celtic then they dont get reported.
Now the Green Brigade are supposed to be smart and should realise that they are conspiring with No friends of Celtic and which will turn on them at a moments notice.
When I was a boy my old dad would tell me don’t believe what you read in the papers.
The Green Brigade dont speak for me
EL
Wolffe said they were high earners and had suffered reputational damage.
Dessybhoy
Same thing happened in Ireland. Massively over budget and being built in town on grounds of ageing Victorian hospital. Tiny roads around it and nae parking to start with
Also, it came out today that Ireland is in breach of WHO regulations on pandemics. This is a technical issue around which dept is ultimately in charge or monitoring and reporting on the process at ports and airports
Health, Transport, HSE (sort of NHS) have been arguing for 10 years. Debate is suspended, ironically, due to COVID!!
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0210/1196134-covid-ireland-who/
BAMBOO on 10TH FEBRUARY 2021 1:55 PM
‘I havnt received my vaccine invitation yet – maybe they know that it will get put straight on the fire. Not being a guinea-pig for these dubious experimental jabs.’
##
If you subsequently get Covid would you expect to be treated by the NHS?
Must be on some annual salary for accountants.
Adi Dassler.
At it’s basic, it appears;”how dare they, do they who we ur? ”
Ten of millions paid for that. Wow.
CONEYBHOY
St Stephen’s Green well worth a vist.
visit obvs
CB
This was a hospital built not to requirements, that after being signed over to NHS Lothian problems were discovered with the ventilation system, which had to be put right at an obviously extremely high cost.
Still not in use either.
ERNIE LYNCH on 10TH FEBRUARY 2021 2:11 PM
CONEYBHOY on 10TH FEBRUARY 2021 2:05 PM
‘those two lads are senior guys in Duff and Phelps (massive global company) and still work there. if there was a sniff of impropriety, they would have been pumped out.’
###
So how come the compo is so eye wateringly high? What financial losses have they incurred?
——————
Good point; maybe based on bonuses they did not get as cases were passed to colleagues while under investigation? I’m sure it was inflated as much as possible
DESSYBHOY on 10TH FEBRUARY 2021 2:12 PM
EL
Wolffe said they were high earners and had suffered reputational damage.
###
Yeah I know that’s what he said.
But the reputational damage would only be among those in the same line of work, who would presumably form their own, informed, opinions on the matter and given that they’ve not been sacked, and were never convicted, where is the evidence for reputational damage that would justify the levels of compo?
I get that there would be some allowance for hurt feelings, but the amount of money involved for that would be insignificant. The amount agreed is based on actual financial loss they have suffered, but i can’t see where that has occurred.
EL
It is a scandal, one among many.
Philbhoy
I work in Dublin (live outside) but have only been in the city centre twice in the last year due to Covid. I miss it badly but my liver results are much better😁
DB @ 2.01
Those are not apples to apples figures.
The £150mill would appear to be the construction cost of the hospital.
The £400 plus number includes financing costs / repayment costs / maintenance costs / basic servicing costs over a period of seemingly 25 years.
Therefore they are two different costs.
You could question if £150mill is value for money for a small scale children’s hospital.
You could question the finance / interest rate and question how much we are paying for annual maintenance costs?
It would be better if there was an annual figure given for the maintenace costs so that we can better judge the value for money aspect for each element of the package.
Civil servants love rolling up the numbers into one big one to get the electorate on-side.
Politicians just love to go along with it and cut the ribbon to open it.
They must be addicted to the smell of fresh paint.
DB @ 2.17
Hospital build issues — can of worms.
The hospital was built to spec — just a case that the spec was found to be not acceptable based on events elsewhere.
I think the Health Board are having to pay for the changes and pay extra to maintain the new system.
Not Holyrood’s / the Civil Service’s finest hour.
MM
Still not in use , so no use to patients
bamboo on 10th February 2021 1:55 pm
Good, leave it for someone who wants it. Also please remain at home for ever.
Brilliant articulation Pablo.
Respect.
(Tried to convey similar in last thread. My effort was pretty lame and was legitimately queried by other posters – maybe there’s a lesson there 🤔 )
“Last year Whitehouse and Clark settled an action for wrongful arrest against Police Scotland for a figure that those in power have decided you and I should never find out”
Where there is a will ……
– ICO
– Scottish Police Authority
– Judicial Review (no laughing at the back at the irony please?)
Hail hail
Keep The Faith
Sorry to bang on about this so please skip if you have had enough of me.
The current debate in the Scottish parliament;
“Murdo Fraser S5M-24095
Crown Office
That the Parliament notes the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s admission of malicious prosecutions of David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, formerly administrators of Rangers Football Club PLC; notes that £24,086,250 of taxpayers money was paid out to Mr Whitehouse and Mr Clark for compensation and legal fees in this case; notes reports that suggest the cost to the taxpayer could increase further up to around £100 million; believes that this is an unprecedented scandal in Scottish legal history; further believes that these matters need to be fully investigated in order to restore public confidence in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and calls for a full, independent, public inquiry led by a judge from a jurisdiction outwith Scotland to investigate the malicious prosecutions of Mr Whitehouse, Mr Clark and any other party connected with Rangers Football Club.”
AROUND ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS POUNDS – yes, that is what it says.
BIGBHOY on 10TH FEBRUARY 2021 2:11 PM
Do you prefer the lies and inaction of the board to be swept under the carpet and not called out?
CONEYBHOY
Yer healths everythin’!
Count yer blessin’s!
:-(
There was a saying that the Scottish Legal system was unique.
But no, it’s just as corrupt as loads of other countries.
ernie
`The amount agreed is based on actual financial loss they have suffered, but i can’t see where that has occurred.`
Do you have an opinion on why it occurred?
Hrvatski Jim
From last thread and this one …
Cheers.
(IMHO) the cheap opportunistic point scoring I mentioned is universal in that “sector”.
Colour of rosette worn is irrelevant.
It’s all a game.
Stuff gets done on the public dime.
Outcomes are largely independent of true oversight.
If you are in power (in office actually) and a positive outcome is delivered?
You milk it and take the credit even though your adminstration possibly contributed the SROFA.
(“Clear evidence that this government’s policies are working blah blah”)
If you are in opposition and something goes south?
You attack the government publicly and ferociously.
Do you have a solution? No. But who cares.
Ask for a public enquiry. They cost money and add to the administration’s to do list. Makes delivering their manifesto harder.
Did your lot or a previous shower establish the foundations way back that set this balls up on its way, only to crystallise on someone else’s watch?
Quite possibly (though less likely in one party states like Scotland and the UK).
Punch and Judy stuff.
If the status quo offends or infuriates I’d respectfully invite you to beware.
One of the few times our august Scorrish Parliament (and MSPs) got directly involved in the doing?
(as opposed to staying out of the way until it was ribbon, scissors and buffet time)
A £40m construction project delivered a £452m eyesore.
😱
Maybe the first minister should be asking questions of the health minister who was responsible for the development of the two super hospitals in order to find out what has gone wrong and maybe even have a public inquiry.
Im sure she can be trusted to investigate herself.
DB @ 2.31
From the recent reports about the Auld Reekie Childrens Hospital — some of it seems to be in use.
Basic elements are now working — just a case that the complex / difficult bits are still shuttered.
B2B @ 2.54
If you followed the great Holyrood build fiasco you would understand that once the funding tap was opened everyone and their dog in the Great Auld Reekie Magic Circle was in for their cut.
However please note that the build doubled in size and they managed to sneek in a new park all paid out of the same line item.
The public want new stuff.
The politicians want elected.
The civil service are pathalogically useless apart from being very good at spending other people’s money.
Not Holyrood’s finest hour and then came the trams.
Madmitch
Of course it’s not confined to Scotland
Crossrail
HS2
PPE procurement
To name a few recent examples
Just watch what happens with the Houses of parliament refurb.
I would expect the same starting xi as Saturday.
ernie
Badly worded. I meant did you have an opinion on why they were awarded so much?
Gene
Remind me what that was , please.
Sorry. I was being lazy. here it is:
Bain, Kenny, Ajer, Waish, Taylor, Brown, McGregor, Turnbull, Rogic, Edouard, Ajeti
Subs: Barkas, Duffy, Soro, Laxalt, Henderson, Elyounoussi, Johnston, Klimala, Griffiths
I think I would persevere with Barkas and at least consider Johnston instead of Ajeti. As always, though, The Manager sees them all the time and I`ll accept that he knows better than I do.
Bada
Thanks for the information earlier re likelihood of the game going ahead.
The debate in the Scottish Parliament had universal support for a public inquiry and wide support that a judge from outside Scotland should be appointed although it was also agreed that a decision on that would be made nearer the time, once existing proceedings were concluded.
As I have reported on here, i have tried to engage with my MSP, Rona Mackay, for several months and only got to speak to her on Friday. She spoke in the debate and was the only contributor who, whilst acknowledging the need for an inquiry, focused her speech on how much good work the Police/CPS does and how many actions have already been taken to improve CPS procedures. It was not quite a “move along Jock, nothing to see here” speech but it had shades of that.
I now see why she was so difficult to engage with. I have no confidence in her.
Is game on sky tonight
Hot smoked
I was the lazy one – would like Soro to start but he might not make the bench after his car accident.
Also it may be he’ll swap Elyounoussi to start with Rogic on the bench
with all the mentions of Murdo Fraser, i am reminded of that old joke (shortened version):
American tourist in the pub goes over to a grumpy local in a wee island fishing village in the Hebrides
‘hey buddy, why are you all on your own? I thought it was a tight knot community here’
”well laddie, hell mend the lot of em. I do everything round here and naebody appreciates it. I put out the fires, i run the ferry to the mainland, i own the wee shop and deliver the milk
do they call me Murdo the Fireman? Naw
do they call me Murdo the Ferryman? Naw
do they call me Murdo the Milkman? Naw
it wiz wan sheep, jist wan sheep!!!!”