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The Crown Office and the cover up

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  1. GerryBhoy on

    PETEC on 19TH NOVEMBER 2023 10:26 PM

     

    GERRYBHOY – apologies as I mean’t the comment to GFTB.

     

     

    No problem. All he best.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Gerry

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Sorry.

  2. scullybhoy on

    Funerals: Study shows Irish wakes may help more with grief

     

     

    Published

     

     

    11 hours ago

     

     

    Cultural differences surrounding death may contribute to lower levels of prolonged grief in Ireland than the UK

     

    By Matt Fox

     

    BBC News NI

     

     

    Traditional Irish wakes may help people cope better with their bereavement, new research has suggested.

     

     

    The Ulster University study, which involved more than 2,000 people, looked at prolonged grief disorder (PGD).

     

     

    It described the disorder as an enduring yearning for the deceased persisting for more than six months.

     

     

    About 10.9% of grieving people in Ireland featured in the research fulfilled the disorder’s criteria, compared to 15.3% in the UK.

     

     

    The authors of the research, which has been published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. said that “cultural differences with regard to death may be an explanatory factor” to the reduced levels of the disorder in Ireland.

     

     

    “For example, in Ireland, it is customary to hold a wake (i.e., social gathering prior to a funeral) during which family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues and acquaintances can come to pay their respects and support the bereaved,” the authors said.

     

     

    The Irish wake usually takes place in the days between an individual’s death and their funeral.

     

     

    It is a traditional social practice, associated with an intense period of mourning and honouring the deceased.

     

     

    In some cases, there may be an open coffin, allowing attendees to pay their respects and say their goodbyes.

     

     

    Wakes usually last two or three days, to allow people time to come and go and participate in the communal experience, and often involve elements such as sharing stories and memories; comforting family members; and music and refreshments.

     

     

    The study added that, in the United Kingdom, such events take place after the funeral and that while Irish funerals are typically regarded as communal events, in the United Kingdom they are often regarded as being private.

     

     

    “Hence it may be that there is a greater sense of community within Irish bereavement culture, with it being widely established that social support plays a key role in determining the ability of the bereaved to adjust to their loss,” researchers said.

  3. GFTB on

    Petec

     

     

    Far too many Gerrys are on CQN … ffs even St Tams is a Gerard ….

     

     

    Dropped BRRB a text earlier think am “allowed” out for a few hours on the 1st … wife & daughter hitting buchan galleries shopping so I may as well try and ease the pain with a few beers I have yet to experience the Shipbank

     

     

     

    Big Jimmy get my name on the guest list 👍🍀

  4. petec on

    GFTB,

     

     

    The 1st should be good, our works night oot is a week later (and I’m going to another).

     

     

    Any Events happenin’ that Davie Hay?

  9. BillyBhoy1967 on

    Football managers utterly frustrate me.

     

     

    Clarke should have started Shankland tonight. The guy deserved to start. He played some guy we all had to google – and that search stated that he is English!

     

    He at least should have swopped them at HT. Then he brings on non-scoring Dykes on 70 minutes leaving Shankland on the bench till the 89th minute! WTF!!

     

     

    Finally, he decides to give Calmac a breather in the 89th minute. Why not take him off at HT and see if Jack can play 45 minutes without breaking down with an injury??

     

     

    I’m totally bemused by our qualification. We are miles away from a good team. Our only really strong area is midfield with all our top players there: McTominey (7) & McGinn (3) scored 10 of our 17 goals. Calmac completes our top 3 players. I’d give honorary mentions to Robbo and KT who are missing.

     

     

    We have virtually no forward line. Of the other 7 goals Dykes scored 1 and Adams scored none! Shankland scored 1 in a 5 minute cameo and a Norwegian defender gifted an OG tonight to equal our strikers efforts!

     

     

    The other 3 were scored by Porteous, Calmac and Armstrong tonight.

     

     

    We have qualified by virtue of the fact that we scored two very late goals in Norway. It all hinges on that.

     

     

    I can’t understand the media claims that we have a great chance to “go deep” into the competition!

  10. Greenpinata on

    BILLYBHOY1967 on 19TH NOVEMBER 2023 11:02 PM

     

     

    Agree with a lot of what you say, but surely that is a back handed complement to Steve Clarke.

     

     

    They may or may not make it out of the group stage for the first time in a major European tournament.

     

    Look at some of the great players we have had previously, and yet never progressed.

     

    Steve Clerke now has an opportunity to rectify that damning stastictic and create history.

     

     

    As a manager he has already achieved.

  11. GFTB on

    Billybhoy 23.02pm

     

     

    Got a feeling Stevie Clarke picks his team/squad around guys he trusts … not saw much of Jacob Brown, I want Scotland to do well but different from Celtic so I would go with what Clarke fancies .., he seems quite a loyal / trusts the players he picks … he might see Jacob in training and thinks he is better than what we think .. look at Lyndon Dykes … personally I think he is gash .. but Stevie Clarke gets a tune out of him …

     

     

    I think most fitba managers put their faith in their selections far more than ability …

  15. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    What is this demand for an apology to get back on CQN?

     

     

    When was that introduced?

     

     

    I remember people voluntarily apologising for being out of order and that is worthwhile, but a conscripted apology- Naw! that’s worth nothing.

     

     

    We all have to put up with a lot we don’t like on here but we cannot demand apology or withdrawal from people we disagree with. Thank God!

     

     

    In all my time on here, I’ve only seen one thing I wanted Paul to ban and that was someone linking to a video on Holocaust denial> Paul agreed and that poster name was never seen again (no idea if the person under the poster name ever got back on here though).

     

     

    So, I have to ask, Mod, has Paul67 demanded that St. Stiv’s apologise to you? or are new rules being dreamt up on a whim here?

  20. GFTB on

    I need to apologise … as well

     

     

    My apology is to the Celtic board and Dermott Desmond for keeping their cash in their pockets while stilll delivering trophy after trophy …

     

     

    Sometimes we don’t realise how “lucky” we are

     

     

    Another couple of losses and big Ange might realise the grass isn’t always greener but £8m @ season you could probably but your own grass …. the legal stuff

  22. carpe diem 63 on

    If we don’t take Shankland …for let’s face it a relatively low fee …guess who will ?…so in conclusion we may live to regret it …as I say parallels with McCoist here …the guy is a proven predator in the Scottish league 🤔

  26. Moderator1888 on

    Not one person mentioned the ban (till I did tonight)

     

     

    Got a tonne of correspondence asking me to keep it in place tho…

  27. Moderator1888 on

    More to the point

     

     

    I would have thought that an apology would have been a pre-requisite…..

     

     

    You wouldn’t get into your local boozer after abusing the staff in a similar manner?

  29. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Mod

     

     

    “is it not the easiest and quickest way to get him off a ban?”

     

     

    No- there is a quicker and an easier way.

     

     

     

    “Not one person mentioned the ban (till I did tonight)”

     

     

    Well I, for one, did not know there was still an active ban, far less a return being dependant upon apology, which seems like a first to me.

     

     

     

     

    “Got a tonne of correspondence asking me to keep it in place tho…”

     

     

    Did ye? Aye? A tonne, you say?

     

     

     

     

    “More to the point

     

     

     

    I would have thought that an apology would have been a pre-requisite…..

     

     

     

    You wouldn’t get into your local boozer after abusing the staff in a similar manner?”

     

     

    Are your thoughts now the rule on here? How many more have you had? Should it not be based on what the blog owner wants? This pre-requisite is an invention of yours; it has never existed before.

     

     

    And this is not a boozer but, even there, the owner decides, not the doorman.

     

     

     

    I’m off to ma kip- I worry where this site is going. I’ll consider my participation when I see how this plays out.

     

     

    Good night

  33. David66 on

    Good morning all from a groundhog day in tje Garngad.

     

     

    I see the MOD is in (i am the big I am mood again) wonder if maybe to much drink involved.

     

     

    D :)

  34. Melbourne Mick on

    Hello again all you young rebels.

     

     

    From an extremely hungover Mornington peninsula

     

    Yes you guessed it, it’s Celtic weekend and I’m still not home.

     

    Another magical day/ night at our CSC.

     

    Big crowd through from the Latrobe Valley, naw me neither

     

    all dressed in their Celtic finery, and bhoy did they make a

     

    day of it.

     

    I believe they were family of one of our members, but my

     

    goodness what a raucous crowd.

     

    Talk now of us taking a bus run to their place, think I better

     

    take a survival pack, paracetamol, panty liners, etc.

     

    O.k what’s going on between SAINT STIVS and the mod.

     

    C,mon bhoys get it sorted.

     

    H H. Mick

  37. Greenpinata on

    Mr Mod,

     

     

    I realise that rules are rules, but sometimes discretion is the answer.

     

     

    I doubt anyone was offended. Nelsons eye springs to mind.

  38. Melbourne Mick on

    I don’t know what I’m missing ghuys, guess something

     

    said which I missed, or was censored.

     

    Maybe Paul 67 needs to have a look ?

     

    H H. Mick

  40. Big Jimmy on

    ITSCALLEDTHEMALVINAS on 19TH NOVEMBER 2023 10:03 PM

     

    Scotland 3 Norway 3

     

     

     

     

    Surely no one could have predicted that scoreline . . .

     

    ……………….

     

     

    I ALMOST placed a Bet of 3 – 3….Honest !

     

    I settled for Scotland to win by the Correct Score of 3 – 2.

     

    That wee Bassa ” ELYNOUSAI” gubbed my Bet…although the Scotland Goalie was FLAPPIN at Norways 3rd Goal.

     

    Scotland games do NOT interest me much, but I knew that I was gonna watch some of it on VIAPLAY, so I thought a Bet would give me a wee interest on a cold Sunday night.

     

     

    LOL

     

    HH

  41. Melbourne Mick on

    BIG JIMMY

     

     

    Had a good gulp of the Guinness last night with Paddy

     

    He was asking how you were, told him “ battering the

     

    bookies “ lol

     

    He’s not been too good health wise, but still planning

     

    and plotting our Celtic away days.

     

    Really jealous of your Shipwreck meetups, they were

     

    made for me.

     

    Who knows,might make one before I go and meet up

     

    with wee Jinky.

     

    H H. Mick

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