Ex-Rangers administrators David Whitehouse and Paul Clark in £21m settlement

[the gunslinger 3,366]

3 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Still maintain the police were justified in going after these individuals. However they made a complete arse of it for whatever reason. It seemed to me they lacked evidence 

The police have cocked this up for sure. 

[RANGERRAB 3,680]

11 minutes ago, the gunslinger said:

The police have cocked this up for sure. 

I got suspicious of D&P when they dismissed Brian Kennedy’s bid. They should have been on their hands & knees begging him to take over. A respectable businessman with a proven track record.

Then they nominated their preferred bidder as a trailer guy from the USA who’d never been outside the USA let alone know anything about Rangers. Once he withdrew his bid chuckles green appeared over the horizon to save the day💩

The whole thing was a farce and stank to the high heavens. No surprise the police got suspicious but they screwed up big style

 

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by RANGERRAB

[Bill 13,717]

15 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Still maintain the police were justified in going after these individuals. However they made a complete arse of it for whatever reason. It seemed to me they lacked evidence 

The police were only justified if they had clear evidence of wrong doing. I think it's now beyond doubt they didn't and in that respect these cases should never have been brought to court. It's just one more window on the corruption and incompetence running through every artery of public life in Scotland.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

24 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

I got suspicious of D&P when they dismissed Brian Kennedy’s bid. They should have been on their hands & knees begging him to take over. A respectable businessman with a proven track record.

Then they nominated their preferred bidder as a trailer guy from the USA who’d never been outside the USA let alone know anything about Rangers. Once he withdrew his bid chuckles green appeared over the horizon to save the day💩

The whole thing was a farce and stank to the high heavens. No surprise the police got suspicious but they screwed up big style

 

 

only honest thing green ever said was he knew in feb he would be the new owner. 

 

That was in June. 

[RANGERRAB 3,680]

2 hours ago, Bill said:

The police were only justified if they had clear evidence of wrong doing. I think it's now beyond doubt they didn't and in that respect these cases should never have been brought to court. It's just one more window on the corruption and incompetence running through every artery of public life in Scotland.

Agreed but I don’t think doing nothing was an option for the police. It looked so obvious what had gone on. 

[RANGERRAB 3,680]

2 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

only honest thing green ever said was he knew in feb he would be the new owner. 

 

That was in June. 

Never knew that but doesn’t surprise me. D&P had to get rid off Kennedy first.

[Bill 13,717]

14 minutes ago, RANGERRAB said:

Agreed but I don’t think doing nothing was an option for the police. It looked so obvious what had gone on. 

Yes, almost as if that's what was how it was intended look. I've no particular insight into what went on but it's clear from what we now know that the police never got close to anyone who actually did break the law and that doesn't surprise me - the police behaved like the third rate fools they were expected to be. The whole world was looking at Green, Whyte and the rest of them while those responsible were leaving quietly by the back door. I doubt if we'll ever know now who they were.

[Uilleam 5,948]

"Prosecutors privately expressed a wish to “nail” the businessmen at the centre of the disgraced police investigation into the takeover of Rangers FC..."

"Grier claims (this)......proves his arrest was motivated by ill will"

 

Is that not what we wish the Procurators do do? Nail criminals in Court?

The language, arguably, may be intemperate, but, really, is it evidence of anything more than a bit of macho posturing in the Crown Office?

 

The really interesting question, of course, is what would have happened if these guys (D&P, Green, et al.) were actually found guilty of the fraud, etc. charges?

The layman is tempted to speculate that successful prosecutions would have resulted in a massive legal and financial tangle, a Gordian knot which would have been tortuous to unpick and impossible to cut; and all to the absolute and utter detriment of Rangers. At best it would have delayed the renaissance, at worst....

 

 

Rangers prosecutors wanted to ‘nail’ Duff & Phelps businessmen

Crown Office minutes ‘prove arrests were malicious’

Marc Horne

Friday January 14 2022, 12.01am, The Times

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rangers-prosecutors-wanted-to-nail-duff-amp-phelps-businessmen-2fz5kkbn3

 

Prosecutors privately expressed a wish to “nail” the businessmen at the centre of the disgraced police investigation into the takeover of Rangers FC, fuelling claims of a major miscarriage of justice.

David Grier, David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, of Duff & Phelps, a global financial consultancy firm, were arrested in 2014 in relation to allegations of fraud linked to the Ibrox club’s financial collapse and subsequent sale. They were cleared of all charges.

Whitehouse, and Clark, both 56, received a settlement worth more than £24 million and an apology from the then lord advocate, James Wolffe QC.

The Court of Session ruled on Tuesday that the police investigation into Grier, 60, had been riven with “incompetence” and a “lack of professionalism” but that he had not been prosecuted maliciously.

Grier will now appeal against the decision after minutes from a Crown Office meeting in 2015 emerged which featured the phrase “Nail the three Duff & Phelps people”.

Grier claims the document, which has been seen by The Times, proves his arrest was motivated by ill will. “If anyone in the street was to say that they wanted to ‘nail’ someone, wouldn’t that be judged as an act of malice?” he said.

“It would be regarded, quite rightly, as an attempt to do harm. The only thing that has kept me going throughout this whole ordeal is the knowledge that the truth would come out eventually.

“I will not give up and will now be appealing this judgment.”

Details from the meeting between Crown Office lawyers and representatives of the forensic accountancy firm Aver were ordered to be handed over by Lord Bannatyne, who dismissed the criminal charges against Grier.

Handwritten minutes confirm the reference to “nailing” the three Duff & Phelps employees was made at talks on September, 11, 2015, to establish the Crown’s instructions to Aver.

One legal source close to the case claimed it was entirely improper. “It is absolutely scandalous and shows clear malice,” they said. “It is totally improper for an expert organisation to be given a brief to ‘nail the three Duff & Phelps people’ rather than to simply investigate and report back.

“The way this prosecution was conducted should shame the Crown and the police. Those who broke the rules need to be removed”.

Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservatives’ community safety spokesman, described the revelation as “deeply concerning”.

“This evidence will doubtless feature in any planned appeal by Mr Grier and will also be of eventual interest to the public inquiry into this extraordinary and damaging scandal,” Findlay added.

 

Grier launched an unsuccessful £9 million damages claim against Police Scotland and the lord advocate, insisting he was wrongfully arrested.

In a lengthy written ruling Lord Tyre made no reference to the desire expressed by the Crown to “nail” Grier, Whitehouse and Clark.

However, he found that Detective Chief Inspector Jim Robertson, who led the bungled fraud inquiry, had given evidence that was “patently untrue” and had acted in an “unacceptable, intimidatory and threatening” manner.

Tyre also found that some evidence given by Detective Chief Inspector Jacqueline O’Neill, the second most senior officer on the case, was “untruthful”.

Craig Whyte was cleared by a jury in 2017 after he was accused of using money coming from future season ticket sales to buy the club while claiming the funds were his

 

Craig Whyte, who bought Rangers for £1 from David Murray in May 2011, was cleared after a seven-week trial in 2017. He had been accused of using money coming from future season ticket sales to buy the club while claiming the funds were his.

Seven men were arrested in 2014, but Whyte was the only one whose case went before a jury. Almost £40 million has been paid to settle claims made by businessmen who were arrested and faced “malicious prosecution”.

The final cost to the taxpayer is expected to rise significantly, with Duff & Phelps seeking considerable redress fo damage to its reputation. A public inquiry has been commissioned into the scandal.

 

Both Robertson and O’Neill went on to be promoted by Police Scotland.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “The judge in this case was satisfied the actions of prosecutors were not motivated by any purposes other than the pursuit of the interests of justice. The previous lord advocate committed the Crown to support a judge-led inquiry once all litigation is over and apologised for the cost to the public purse.

“There are longstanding and robust processes in place to ensure the integrity of prosecutions.

“We have strengthened these through case management panels which provide additional scrutiny and direction from senior prosecutors.”

 

Comments for this article have been turned off

Edited January 14, 2022 by Uilleam

[the gunslinger 3,366]

9 hours ago, RANGERRAB said:

Never knew that but doesn’t surprise me. D&P had to get rid off Kennedy first.

The got Kennedys final bid. Told him he had won then sold to green for a few quid more. 

 

Suspicious at best. 

 

They then turned down Walters bigger bid. 

 

[RANGERRAB 3,680]

2 hours ago, the gunslinger said:

The got Kennedys final bid. Told him he had won then sold to green for a few quid more. 

 

Suspicious at best. 

 

They then turned down Walters bigger bid. 

 

All deeply suspicious. No wonder the police got involved

Edited January 14, 2022 by RANGERRAB