ANGER AT LAW CHIEF DELAY IN GERS CASE
Lord Advocate is blasted for £57m claim hold-up
A LAWYER for an ex-Rangers director seeking £57million compensation over a botched fraud probe yesterday slammed the Lord Advocate’s handling of the case.
Businessman Imran Ahmad claims he suffered “career-ending” losses after being wrongfully prosecuted in a failed financial investigation into the club.
Advocate Ewen Campbell yesterday told the Court of Session he wanted “clarification” as he doesn’t know the Lord Advocate’s position on the case – despite the Crown having had Ahmad’s statements for four months.
Mr Campbell said: “There is a request for the Lord Advocate to clarify the position in matters detailed. It is not clear ... precisely what the position is.
“If the Lord Advocate’s position is as extreme as this – the pursuer, who was a successful individual in the financial world, was not impacted at all by a malicious prosecution which alleged fraud and other financial crimes, then there must be a basis for this.
“The pursuer submits he is entitled to know at this stage of proceedings – and given if it is known it cannot be expert evidence, it must be documentary or witness statements which provides the basis for it.” Ahmad was one of several men prosecuted in relation to businessman Craig Whyte’s takeover of Rangers in 2012.
No one was convicted of wrongdoing in what has been described as a “malicious prosecution”.
Last year, former club chairman Charles Green received a £6.3million settlement and an apology from the then Lord Advocate James Wolffe KC for wrongful prosecution.
Prosecutors have also paid damages in civil cases brought by businessmen David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, who were arrested during the probe.
They each received £10.3million and their legal bills were paid.
Crown Office lawyer Gerry Moynihan KC told judge Lord Harrower his client needed more time to assess a report by financial expert Stuart Andrews.
Lord Harrower said: “I do take on board the pursuer’s point that, in fairness to him, he needs to know what the Lord Advocate’s position is.
“And I would expect the Lord Advocate to respond to that.”
The judge fixed dates for the full hearing – between March 1 and March 10, 2023.