Police watchdog’s £10k legal bill after former member asks for emails she’s already seen
the board following the private meetings.
The author and communications consultant quit after raising concerns about secrecy at the SPA.
Board chai rman Andrew Flanagan was accused of bullying Ali out of her position.
The information Ali requested is understood by the Sunday Mail to include emai ls to which she previously had access.
Details obtained under Freedom of Information show £ 5875 was paid to Edinburgh law firm DLA Piper. The SPA added: “We obtained supplementary legal advice on this issue costing £ 4800.”
They also said £1408 was paid for “legal advice from DLA Piper in relation to the SPA holding committee meetings in private”.
The SPA refused to disclose what the legal advice was specifically for, stating it was “privileged”.
Ali said last week: “This is disgraceful behaviour by a public body who claim to be committed to openness.
“The fact the SPA felt the need to take advice on the legality of private meetings suggests members were not confident it was lawful.
“This raises issues about the status of some of the decisions taken when the SPA reverted to private- only meetings.”
FOI responses show the SPA paid £ 5760 to Glasgow-based Kynesis Coaching for “executive training for board members” last year.
PR firm 3x1 earned £ 4267 this year for “media and presentational training for SPA commit tee chairpersons”.
The sums were paid despite the SPA having an in-house media and communications team headed by £ 85,000- per- year director of communications John McCroskie.
Under-fire SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan and £110,000-a-year chief executive John Foley both resigned this year but remain in post.
Both are expected to be replaced by the end of the year.
An SPA spokeswoman said: “As a former board member with access to restricted information, the authority required to be satisfied that, in providing the information to Ms Ali, they were not breaching any legal obligations.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman added: “Expenditure from their budget is a matter for the SPA.”