Chairman accused of misleading MSPs in transparency row
A SCOTTISH Police Authority (SPA) board member who resigned in a row over transparency has accused the watchdog’s chairman of misleading MSPs.
Moi Ali stepped down last week saying she felt she had been punished for objecting to plans to hold SPA meetings in private during a public meeting in December.
SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan denied that was the case when he was questioned on the matter by Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee.
He told MSPs: “The issue for me is that the board members, if we’re going to conduct ourselves in public, they must be clear about their intentions and communicate their positions ahead of time.
“In this case the board member did not and that’s what I took issue with, not whether or not there’s openness and transparency.
“Her position on the committees being held in private was a long-standing one. Her taking a dissenting position and not communicating that in advance was what the issue was about.” Ms Ali said the account was “incorrect”, adding: “I did tell the chairman I would raise concerns in the public board.
“Collective responsibility kicks in after decisions taken, not before. I’m speaking out now following inaccurate accounts by SPA.
“I made a constructive challenge, asked for my dissent to be recorded, then accepted collective responsibility, as per ‘on board’ guidance.”
Ms Ali said she would be writing to the committee “to correct info given by Andrew Flanagan re openness, transparency and my resignation”.
She also published on her Twitter account a letter sent from Mr Flanagan to her after the public meeting in which he stated he “did not think it would be fair” for her to continue to participate in SPA committees.
Responding to the letter, committee convener Jenny Marra MSP said it was “heavy handed”.