The Crown Office and the cover up

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The criminal justice system in Scotland (and south of the border) is on its knees.  It lacks funds to appropriately prosecute crime, this week I spoke to a shopkeeper who closed a business which flourished for decades, citing, among other things, the inability to deter shoplifters.

So what does this have to do with football?  We learned yesterday The Crown Office has increased its allocation to deal with the malicious prosecution of Rangers administrators and those who purchased the assets.  By March this year, £51.7m had been paid out, and additional £8.8m has been set aside to settle on-going matters.

The Crown Office have accepted they maliciously prosecuted people involved in the Rangers period in administration.  High barriers normally have to be overcome to get the Crown Office to prosecute anyone.  This case is remarkable in that it was pursued without necessary evidence, an inquiry – of sorts – will follow.

The headlines will explain that Newco Rangers’ founding director, Charles Green, was one of the victims, as well as insolvency practitioners and others involved around the time of the failure of Oldco and incorporation of Newco.  No one yet is calling out who went after them.  Why they went after them.  Or on whose behalf they went after them.  The latter question is perhaps the reason no subsequent prosecutions have taken place.

I have no time for Green, Duff and Phelps, Whyte or any of the other characters involved in this tale.  But, in 2012 and 2013 the Scottish media led a campaign against those who sold Rangers assets to the stakeholders of Sevco Scotland.  It was partisan and it was coordinated.  It went hand-in-hand with the malicious prosecutions.

Innocent people were harassed, arrested and subject to years of pressure.  The guilty sailed off into the sunset, untouched by the law.  There is a custom for civil actions (like this compensation episode) to be paused while criminal prosecutions take precedent, it never goes the other way around.

The Crown Prosecution Service would rather we all looked the other way.  News desks across the country know all about it because they were foot soldiers in the game.   They are limited in what they can do, but if they could find 10% of the agitation they used a decade ago, the powerful might think twice before opting for a cover up.

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363 Comments

  1. “Celtic can afford him, but he just doesn’t fit the bill. That’s not to say I don’t rate him as a player. It’s got nothing to do with his apparent allegiances, either.

     

     

    why doesn’t he fit the bill , he is a goalscorer is that not what a centre forward’s remit is , would allow Kyogo to get the surgery on his dodgy shoulder he requires earlier also.

  2. RC

     

    `why doesn’t he fit the bill , he is a goalscorer `

     

     

    Maybe being a goalscorer with Hearts is a different proposition from being a goalscorer with Celtic?

  3. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Don’t think the board will pay £3/4m for a 28 year old Shankland and no resalable value either!

  4. And to sit on the bench for 90% of the time.

     

     

    Next striker signed should be better than Kyogo

  5. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Or if this is a Asian Cup contingency plan, perhaps a non Asian recruitment during the summer could have been planned.

     

     

    Its not rocket science, buy good players from that region and an excellent chance they will be off to play!

  6. With the accounts recently published by Hearts I would be amazed if Shankland raised anything like 3m, remember, they received 6m if my memory is correct in donations, to turn a small profit

  7. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Parkhead

     

     

    Jürgen Klinsmann 8s very keen on him, so would be astonished if he didn’t pick him.

     

     

    Anyway since it’s 30° in Mogan aff for a 🍻

  8. HOT SMOKED on 18TH NOVEMBER 2023 2:25 PM

     

    RC

     

    `why doesn’t he fit the bill , he is a goalscorer `

     

     

    Maybe being a goalscorer with Hearts is a different proposition from being a goalscorer with Celtic?

     

     

    would score more goals with us considering the amount of chances we normally create.

  9. bigrailroadblues on

    Good afternoon all from the Victoria Bar. You are an absolute shower. So that’s youse telt.

  10. Just cancel the games if we are missing too many players (I’m assuming that is still the rule??)

  11. garygillespieshamstring on

    Just get the games cancelled. We will have plenty of free midweeks after Christmas to fit them in.

     

     

    Glass half full csc

  12. What is the Starz on

    Ron Bacardi, did you see the info I left for you re irish census from 1901 the other night ?

  13. WITS

     

     

    I did, and confirms my belief that my grandad and his family were from the Slauughtmanus area.

     

     

    Another strange discovery. He was born in Sisteckel (?), Derry. But I cannot find any reference to that other than it was part of The Townlands which seem to have been wiped from history.

  14. SPFL

     

     

    Rule G7 reads: “A Club shall be entitled to apply to the Board for the postponement of any Official Match where three or more of its Players who would otherwise have participated in such match are unavailable through international selection and, following receipt of such an application, the Board may postpone and rearrange the relevant Official Match in accordance with Rule G3.”

  15. Load of nonsense being spoke about Shankland.The boy,is a brilliant predator.Has been his whole career.He has got better with age.Hold up play is very good,one twos,flicks and tricks in the box,very good,and he is strong.People on about his age,” No resale value”,many who say we need experience not projects at other times.Very confusing.He would come to us in a minute.Now married into a Celtic mad family,so all the nonsense about allegiances,out the window.IMHO,we would be mad not to be interested.

     

    Some of our best strikers have come from Scottish teams.The foreign guys we are being linked to,a gamble.Settling in time,unfit,we dont have the time for this in January.Unless we are going to ask for postponements,he is a no brainer for me.

  16. What is the Starz on

    Ron Bacardi

     

    The correct spelling for that townland is Sistrakeel

     

    99 entries appear for it in 1911 census

  17. What is the Starz on
  18. What is the Starz on
  19. the_huddle on 18th November 2023 4:19 pm

     

     

    Just cancel the games if we are missing too many players (I’m assuming that is still the rule??)

     

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

     

     

    I’d Hazard (linked by the SMSM to the tribute act) a guess, possibly haphazardly if Celtic are still competing in Europe in the New Year, they will use this rule to Our advantage. If we urnae (I genuinely think we will be) the Top Brass will make the call, hopefully the right wan.

     

     

    Noone knows anything. Especially noo.

  20. We have in ma opinion a fantastic set of Players.

     

     

    The way these players move the Ba’ with such Speed and Precision is joyful to watch.

     

     

    I make sure I’m there to watch them warm-up.

     

     

    Something BIG is gonnae Happen.

     

     

    UTAH SAINTS.CSC

  21. Gents fab pics at the Shipbank ..a fine bunch of lads indeed …no suggestion that Shankland would be our no 1 ..but a solid back up ..and re the Hearts question…as I recall a certain Willie Wallace set that trend and did not too bad …also don’t forget if we don’t they will 🤔

  22. WHAT IS THE STARZ

     

     

    Absolutely brilliant. My wife and I will be exploring Derry area in January. Thanks to you we have positive links to investigate.

  23. voguepunter on 18th November 2023 7:06 pm

     

     

    Celtic must always be about the Team and Furuhashi being elevated so much is an Yvonne Murray.

     

     

    There are so many Superb players in this Celtic team – Shut Up Pete!!!!!

  24. Dermot ‘Donut’ as the Fantastic poster ernie, affectionately called him, and he, should still be on this Incredible site.

     

     

    His Knowledge was/Is Exceptional.

  25. Evening all.

     

     

    This guy was a bit like Marmite, love him or hate him.

     

    Brian Clough.

     

     

    Personally I loved listening to him.

     

     

    Here is a 30 minute interview with him and David Frost.

     

     

    I appreciate a 30 minute clip might be excessive but it’s International week !!!

     

     

    I hope you enjoy.

     

     

    The Frost Interview – Brian Clough

     

    https://youtu.be/B1AZEqS3b_Y?si=4HGFgWuw3s7BvwlS

     

     

    Brian.