Acting police chief ‘misled’ over return of bully probe boss
POLICE Scotland’s acting Chief Constable has revealed he was told no decision had been made about his boss’s return to work – a day after board members agreed on it.
Iain Livingstone yesterday said the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) failed to inform him about plans to bring back Phil Gormley and falsely told him they were still reviewing the case 24 hours after a decision had been made.
The Deputy Chief Constable was quizzed by MSPs at Holyrood yesterday over the state of policing in Scotland.
He is standing in while Mr Gormley is on special leave – officials are investigating bullying allegations against him, which he strongly denies.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson admitted this month that he had intervened after ex-SPA chair Andrew Flanagan told Mr Gormley he could return to work.
Mr Livingstone revealed he had been kept in the dark over SPA plans to let Mr Gormley resume work on November 10.
He said he called Mr Flanagan on November 8 to ask whether or not the chief would be permitted to resume duties, and claimed he was told no decision had been made. But Mr Gormley had been told by the SPA the previous day that he could return.
Mr Livingstone told MSPs: ‘I was told that deliberations were ongoing and I would be briefed in due course.’
Asked if he had been lied to by Mr Flanagan, Mr Livingwas stone said: ‘The response he gave to me clearly wasn’t reflective of the decision that had been taken.’
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr claimed the situation at Police Scotland getting ‘murkier’, adding: ‘It was perfectly reasonable for Mr Livingstone to ask whether or not the man he was filling in for was due to return.
‘But instead of being upfront, the evidence suggests that the SPA appears to have misled him, by claiming no decision had been made. People will be wondering what on Earth has been going on at the top of Police Scotland.’
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) is conducting an inquiry into gross misconduct allegations against Mr Gormley.
He was forced to step aside from the country’s top police job in September when claims of bullying came to light.
Last week, his wife Claire spoke out in his defence, saying he had been ‘vilified’.
Scottish Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnstone said the handling of Mr Gormley’s return ‘appears more and more shambolic by the day’.
He added: ‘After a decade of SNP Government, our justice system is in danger of turning into a farce.’
Despite the controversy, Mr Livingstone yesterday insisted there was ‘no crisis in policing’, but said: ‘There are issues within Police Scotland, there are issues around governance and accountability.’
New SPA chair Susan Deacon said she backed Mr Matheson’s intervention – but said if he questioned one of her decisions it would mean she had ‘failed’.
‘More shambolic by the day’