Green ‘should never have been prosecuted’
Former chief executive will get multi-million payout and apology from Lord Advocate
FORMER Rangers chief executive Charles Green will get a huge cash payout after an apology from law chiefs – who told him he “should never have been prosecuted” over his takeover of the club.
Green will receive a public apology from Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, his lawyers have been told in a letter.
The 67-year-old took over the Glasgow club in June 2012 after it was put into liquidation but stepped down the following year.
Green and five others were charged with serious organised crime offences in 2015 in relation to the acquisition of the club.
The businessman later launched a legal action for wrongful arrest after the charges against him were dropped.
Now the Lord Advocate has conceded the prosecution should never have happened and suggested “mediation” to decide what is expected to be a multi-million pound settlement.
Green’s lawyers said he’d suffered a “damaging, traumatic and stressful life event for him” as they prepared to fight for compensation.
It’s the latest climbdown for prosecutors who targeted highprofile figures in the wake of Rangers’ financial meltdown.
Last Wednesday, Crown lawyers admitted pursuing a “malicious” prosecution without “probable cause” against two ex-Rangers FC administrators. David Whitehouse and Paul Clark are pursuing damages of £20million against the Lord Advocate and Police Scotland.
Earlier this month, it was revealed former Ibrox director Imran Ahmad was to get a public apology from Wolf fe and significant damages after being wrongly accused of fraud.
A letter was sent to Green’s legal team from the Scottish Government Legal Directorate, litigation division. It said: “I write to intimate we are now in receipt of instructions on behalf of the Lord Advocate to attempt to negotiate settlement of the above action. The Lord Advocate intends to issue a public apology that Mr Green should never have been prosecuted.
“Damages will be paid. Our suggestion is, on production of properly vouched losses, quantum be addressed at mediation. These negotiations would be on the basis of no admission of liability.”
Green had also faced charges of conspiracy, fraud and an offence under Section 190 of the Companies Act 2006 before they were thrown out by prosecutors.
Whitehouse and Clark, appointed administrators of Rangers in February 2012, were among those to have their charges dropped. They were the subject of an abortive prosecution after the Rangers takeover by Craig Whyte and the club’s administration and liquidation.
A judge at their Court of
Session hearing was told the Crown informed the pair’s lawyers on Monday they now admitted “malicious” prosecution.
Responding to the letter yesterday, Green said: “I was relieved to hear the Lord Advocate admitted that Mr Clark and Mr Whitehouse had been the victims of malicious prosecution by the Crown. I will be making no further comment.”
Michael McLean, a partner at
Green’s solicitors, Jones Whyte LLP of Glasgow, said: “The admission made by the Lord Advocate is without precedent. Our focus is now to quantify the significant losses suffered by Mr Green.”
The prosecutions of Green, Whitehouse and Clark were l aunched whi l e Frank Mulholland QC, now judge Lord Mulholland, was Lord Advocate.