Imran Ahmad, one of the founding fathers of Newco Rangers, was yesterday awarded £600k damages for malicious prosecution. He was charged with fraud in 2015 in connection with the deal that secured ‘a basket of assets’ from Rangers administrators three years earlier.
This brings the total payout from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) for malicious prosecutions in connection with the administration of Rangers to over £52m. The club failed to make provisions for legal challenges by HMRC, which were eventually lost. Assets were sold off to a newco, Sevco Scotland Ltd, later renamed The Rangers Football Club Ltd, before the club was put into liquidation.
The events of 2012 were often theatrical. The initial asset purchase agreement was signed with Sevco 5088 Ltd, before Sevco Scotland assumed the right. Any dispute surrounding this matter was concluded behind closed doors.
Administrators then went through the public motions of trying to sell players’ employment contracts, signed with Rangers to the Newco. This innovative move failed, with Steven Davis, Kyle Lafferty, Steven Naismith, Allan McGregor and others walking away.
The administrators also renamed Rangers as RFC 2012 PLC and permitted the Newco to use the trading style “Rangers”. This was seen as crucial by Sevco in picking up business which had previously gone to Rangers. They were able to present a sense of continuity to football fans, although hopes of entering the same league Rangers had played in were thwarted by a Dashing Grassroots-to-Boardroom Manoeuvre across the country.
Within hours of the assets auction being won by Sevco, a consortium of ‘Rangers people’ were keen to buy them. A campaign then followed which was often unpleasant, the assets’ new owners had no business or emotional connections to Oldco.
During this time, police, then COPFS, investigated actions around the sale and purchase and authorised charges. Reputations, including that of Mr Ahmad’s were burned. If you are looking for ‘clean hands’ in this matter, however, you may be disappointed.
£52m is an enormous portion of Scotland’s judicial budget – approximately £10 for every man, woman and child. In paying out for a malicious act, you accept that there was an intent to do harm to the victim, not simply to act without due care.
That is quite an admission from COPFS, who as recently as 2019 declined an offer from Mr Ahmad to apologise and walk away without further consideration. They really, really, did not want to admit to being in the wrong, but were left with no option.
This is how Scotland operates in our times, at least when it comes to football. An inquiry will follow many years from now, when all the actors have left the stage and memories are unable to recall details. Forgive me for being cynical.
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Tom- we were told that Mark Lawwell is going to a far bigger club, and we will regret it…..I think Ratcliffe has head hunted them for Man U….
We had a togetherness on Wednesday night. The club, the team and the support. All eyes on the prize.
With less than a dozen games left why rock the boat.?
The decision may be right, but the timing is not.
HH.
GREENPINATA on 1ST MARCH 2024 6:47 PM
Reckon this announcement is more likely to unite than divide…
Delighted for Mark Lawwell on a personal level. Disappointed we didn’t get the opportunity to develop and modernise as had been planned. I guess that’s another thing which links back to Ange moving sooner than expected.
As for the ‘experts’ who didn’t even have a clue what he was employed to do but heaped abuse based on ignorance …… don’t worry too much we will probably be back to the good old days of a Lee Congerton or Hammond or the like soon.
I am sure you can find some one else to take your frustrations out on.
BURNLEY78 on 1ST MARCH 2024 6:49 PM
Delighted for Mark Lawwell on a personal level. Disappointed we didn’t get the opportunity to develop and modernise as had been planned.
Planned? Really? Don’t think so …..
I wish I understood their shi*
Commentators describing golfers as athletes…..then I look at our group….
Oops….wrong blog
Test
Passed.
MELVIN UDALL on 1ST MARCH 2024 6:07 PM
“Still counts…….It still counts!” 😂
Could not give a toss who was sacked,hopefully get better in.That has to be the plan.Have to say though,no matter who gets the job,I will wait with baited breath,to see what ,” First team ready,quality players”will be rushing to join us.Always said that was a nonsense statement for BR to put out.In January window !!!!!!!!!!!.Don’t think so,but many did,for reasons known only to themselves.
On a final note.I take it all the quotes about PL Jnr,from Ange,were all lies.I mean like this one,” I had a great working relationship with him over a 4 year period”and a few more.Direct quotes from Press conferences.I have asked the know it all ones on here,”Was Ange lying?”.Sadly,no replies.
I heard PL Jnrs last job was baking Scones in a Tea Room in Troon.
Straight from someone on here,who got served by him.Never noticed the striking resemblance to his Da,as he had an Apron on.
There ye are.Straight from the horses arse. Oops sorry,mouth.
Enough of this intrigue.Away to watch Mikey Johnston.
Thank goodness!
GEEBEE1978 on 1ST MARCH 2024 7:10 PM
MELVIN UDALL on 1ST MARCH 2024 6:07 PM
“Still counts…….It still counts!” 😂
—————
😂😂😂👍
Anyway, love him or loath him, it was fun to watch George Galloway absolutely rattle the Sky journalist. Poor guy didn’t have a chance.
Wonder if ML could recommend anyone with recruitment experience ? Does he know anyone well versed in the dark arts of getting someone into the spl better slightly better than the hopposition?
James Forrest on 1st March 2024 4:44 pm
Who the hell do you think you are? My sides!
Some ten a penny fanzine writer! Lets not be getting ideas above your station Jamsie bhoy.
If it wasn’t for the snack meeja adverts plastered all over your blog you’d be on the dole, because lets be honest, no editor is going to put up with the utter guff you ramble on about daily.
Job is half done.
Lawwell Sr must follow suit out the door.
The guy is toxic.
Healy in second in the indoor 1500 women’s
disaster – fell at the last
TURKEYBHOY @ 7:14 PM,
OK, we see your hurt…
Yet don’t be blaming Brendan Rodgers for this, no one in December was thinking, him asking for four experienced players was the equivalent of him asking for the moon…
The strategy &/or the model &/or the personnel failed in that respect.
So all reasonable Celtic supporters knew, after four poor transfer windows something had to give.
This is not on Brendan Rodgers – period
In fact him and his coaching staff have been up against it all season and still are, incase you’d forgotten.
Anything we achieve this season will be down to those guys going above and beyond.
Hail Hail
The level of arrogance based on sheer ignorance o. here is incredible.
Yaaaaaaas
I mean I am delighted for Markybhoy obviously untapped talent that wasn’t appreciated at our club.
Hey ho best of brittish and all that.
I think Peter should join Real Madrid or Barcelona he is incredible at his job also, he should not let the door hit his arse on the way oot. I mean we will not stand in his way.
D. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 :)
Turkeybhoy
Good point on the statement. It was ridiculous. Basic level negotiation skills spring to mind. Never mind managing fan expectations ! Unless he had other reasons ? LOL.
As for somebody getting the sack ? Who are you talking about ?
Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
But honey pie, you’re not safe here
So you run down to the safety of the town
But there’s panic on the streets of Carlisle
Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
I wonder to myself
The last time I spoke to Mark he said he did not even want the job his Da got him.
Well done bhoy standing up to your auld man.
D. :)
David 66
Your bitterness really will eat you up.
Imagine wanting your favourite team to fail becaus you are so jealous of one family making them an incredible success.
It’s hilarious but also a bit worrying.
Does his resignation make Mark Lawell a bed wetter ?
Or was he sacked ?
TT
As for game players like Brendan gambling on losing a league to make a point ….. well that will be interesting to see how that all ends up.
A few years in the doldrums for Celtic I fear. Still the Hun media and its bitter rebel Celtic malcontents will be happy with it all. Whilst rangers resume their ascendancy for a few years.
TinyTim
I think you know the score on that one.
Whilst there is no doubt that we needed to make changes in our recruitment department .
We have seen Brendan fail at recruiting the right man before .
Lee Congerton was no more successful than Mark Lawell.
If Khun was Rodger’s main target ,then we are in real trouble.
I posted on here a number of years ago that recruitment was the most difficult task at the club .
We have an opportunity to take a fresh look at our whole player recruitment strategy .
It will not be easy to get it right .
TT
BURNLEY78 @ 7:48 PM,
Could you please explain something to me?
Why do you get so offended when people criticise folk who are in your circle
Yet think it’s open season on our manager and another scurrilous attack on him?
This is deplorable behaviour and why the Celtic support will not stand for this underhand misdirection and falsehood any longer.
Hail Hail
One can dress it up all one likes.
4 failed transfer windows where we are worse off today than we were when Ange left.
20 million pished up against the wall on absolute dross. In other countries, people would be jailed for being so wasteful with other people’s money, so he can count himself lucky.
Can we be sure that these were not Pete’s Punt’s and that young Lawwell is taking the fall for El hombre del camino de entrada con calefacción?
TINYTIM @ 7:53 PM,
Kuhn was not “Rodgers man”, Adam Idah was…
Hail Hail
c’mon BR, the league is what you make it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCNEkNImxus
The Stevie Wonder School of Soccer Scouting Inc takes another hit as Mark Lawwell is put on gardening leave.
Few unhappy campers on here tonight. . . . .
As the Carpenters once uttered “It’s only just begun”