Whistleblower: Police watchdog threatened me
A WHISTLEBLOWER wept yesterday as she told how she was threatened and viewed as a troublemaker after raising concerns over ‘inappropriate’ payments to a senior police officer.
Amy McDonald said she was treated with ‘hostility’ after raising concerns over Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick having a £53,000 tax bill paid and getting £67,000 to help move house.
Mrs McDonald, 44, claims she was frozen out of her role as a chartered accountant at the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) watchdog.
She is seeking compensation for ‘injury to hurt feelings’ because of her treatment after alleging ‘financial wrongdoing’.
Breaking down during a tribunal in Glasgow, the mother of two said: ‘The sense I have is one of hostility by the SPA, I feel I was viewed as a troublemaker and not as a valued employee that raised concerns about how public money should be spent.
‘I can’t reveal all things that have happened in this but I have been threatened by the SPA. That has impacted on my family and been very frightening.’
Mrs McDonald said she emailed her complaint, referred to as ‘protected disclosures’, to SPA chief Andrew Flanagan on May 5, 2017. When she got no response, she sent a copy to Audit Scotland and Justice Secretary Michael Matheson on May 17.
The inquiry heard her complaint was made as the deadline for the release of the SPA’s annual ‘certificate of assurance’, a summary of accounts, approached. But when it came out, Mrs McDonald’s concerns had been left out.
Advocate David Hay, representing Mrs McDonald, said: To what extent did the chair of the SPA explore with you the substance of these allegatribunal tions and what was said about the inappropriate payments?’
She replied: ‘I don’t really recall it being probed deeply.’
Mrs McDonald, who now works in the forensics division, launched a tribunal claim the same month.
In February, Mrs McDonald said she ‘reached out’ to new SPA chairman Susan Deacon to avoid future hearings but before she could explain any further, SPA lawyer Stephen Miller interjected.
The tribunal also heard that Mrs McDonald’s treatment was not in line with the SPA’s ‘whistleblowing’ policy, introduced in June 2017 following a recommendation by Audit Scotland three years earlier.
Mrs McDonald said: ‘It has had a real impact on my confidence, my ability to do my job. It has been incredibly stressful.’
SPA audit committee chairman David Hume also gave evidence. He told how he had commissioned an independent investigation by solicitors Scott Moncrieff into the way Mrs McDonald was treated following the raising of her tribunal claim.
Mr Hume told the tribunal that ‘a review’ into the SPA’s whistleblowing policy was needed in light of Mrs McDonald’s case.
The tribunal continues.
‘Incredibly stressful’