‘The Firm’ censored, now apologise over Lord Advocate 'allegations' in Hollie Greig abuse scandal as Police investigate Aberdeen Paedophile ring

Victims of abuse : Hollie Greig and her mother, Anne. LEGAL THREATS against newspapers and online media over the reporting of allegations of serious & prolonged abuse dating back over a decade, made by former Aberdeen resident Hollie Greig against senior legal figures allegedly involved in a Paedophile ring based in Aberdeen, yesterday, resulted in online investigations & reports into the scandal being pulled after intervention from the most senior levels of Scotland's legal establishment.

Scots legal publication "The Firm" was forced to drop abuse report involving big name legal figure

The allegations, made by Down's Syndrome sufferer Hollie Greig against several identified individuals, which, according to Aberdeen's Press & Journal newspaper include a Sheriff & senior Police Officer, also identified a big name in Scotland's legal establishment who is alleged to have been involved in the investigation, but who now cannot be identified for legal reasons due to a clamp placed on reporting the story by Scotland's Crown Office.

Our earlier coverage of the abuse story is here : Down’s syndrome victim identifies Sheriff & Police in Aberdeen Paedophile ring as Grampian Police investigate claims of historical abuse and Hollie’s story, can be read here : http://stolenkids-hollie.blogspot.com/

Grampian Police are said to have interviewed Hollie Greig during September of this year as they pursued their investigation, although it transpires from media reports still available that Hollie and her mother claim to have made a statement at Bucksburn police station in July 2000 naming a senior police officer, who has since died, and a Sheriff who is still serving on the bench.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill refused to comment on Hollie Greig's case. While supporters & friends of Hollie's family have sent out pleas for help to many of Holyrood's MSPs, including Brian Adam who, documents now reveal was involved in assisting Hollie & her mother while they lived in Aberdeen, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill refused to make any comment on the case, instead referring media interest to Scotland's Crown Office. When enquiries were made of the Crown Office for their reaction to the abuse allegations and certain details, the Crown Office issued a release which contained a threat of defamation proceedings against anyone who quoted two reports published on 17 November in one of Scotland’s legal publications, “The Firm” magazine.

Today, “The Firm” retract their allegations against the Lord Advocate. In a breaking development today, “The Firm” have printed a full retraction of their claims, apologising to Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini. The Firm’s editor Steven Raeburn said:. “The firm never believed that the Lord Advocate acted in any way improperly in this matter, which is of significant public interest and was reported by us in good faith “However, there were details relating to the timeline of the decision not to prosecute the alleged abusers that were unclear, which we believed required explanation that was not immediately forthcoming from the Crown Office. “We have now been furnished with that information and accept unreservedly that she had no involvement with this matter – and apologise if she believed we were suggesting otherwise.”

Now, one might think this sudden secrecy on alleged sex offenders and paedophiles in Scotland seems a bit out of place, considering over the past few days we have seen yesterday’s big announcement by Central Scotland Police they had collected up to 2000 email addresses in an investigation into online predators targeting children for abuse and a recent statement by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill in the Scottish Parliament on sex offenders

Kenny MacAskill’s statement on Sex Offenders to Parliament, so far nothing on Hollie Greig …

Parts 2 & 3

Down’s syndrome victim identifies Sheriff & Police in Aberdeen Paedophile ring as Grampian Police investigate claims of historical abuse

BIG NAMES in Scottish legal circles have been identified as alleged abusers by a down’s syndrome woman who claims she was abused as a child by a paedophile ring based in Aberdeen which, according to the Press & Journal newspaper includes a named Sheriff and a senior Police Officer.

Grampian Police have so far not given a full Press Release on the case, despite being pressed for reaction, and there are rumours the Crown Office has issued guidelines to newspaper editors on what cannot be published about the case, which all starkly contrasts with yesterday’s big announcement by Central Scotland Police they had collected up to 2000 email addresses in an investigation into online predators targeting children for abuse and a recent statement by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill in the Scottish Parliament on sex offenders which you can watch on video, HERE

So .. silence on some cases of abuse which include allegations against members of the judiciary & law enforcement services, but big public announcements on others … now there’s got to be something wrong with that policy ….

The Press & Journal report :

DOWN'S SYNDROME WOMAN NAMES PAEDOPHILE RING

Hollie tells police she was abused by sheriff

Published: 18/11/2009

Grampian Police have reinterviewed a disabled woman who claims she was abused as a child by an Aberdeen paedo-phile ring which included a senior police officer and a leading Scottish sheriff.

Hollie Greig, 29, who has Down’s Syndrome, claims she was abused for 14 years from the age of six, and has given police the names of some of the men she says assaulted her.

Hollie and her mother, Anne, have been campaigning since 2000 when police were first informed of the alleged abuse, for criminal proceedings to be taken against those she says were involved.

The abuse is alleged to have taken place in Aberdeen, and Hollie and her mother claim to have made a statement at Bucksburn police station in July 2000 naming a senior police officer, who has since died, and a sheriff who still serves.

The Press and Journal knows the identities of both men but has decided not to make them public at this stage.

No charges have ever been brought, although Hollie received £13,500 compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in April this year.

It is understood that followed evidence from a Grampian detective inspector who described Hollie as “a truthful witness to the best of her ability and an entirely innocent victim”.

Last night, Mrs Greig, 58, said her daughter has had nightmares and suffered panic attacks since she first told her mother about the alleged abuse nine years ago.

“We’ve been battling this for a long time now and we are angry with the way things were handled right from the start,” she said.

“We were practically forced out of our home in Aberdeen and fled to Shropshire when this whole thing came to light. During these past nine years myself and Hollie have been called liars and had to put up with constant insults but we will continue to fight despite the endless brick walls we hit.”

Mrs Greig said she ordered two psychological reports on Hollie to dismiss claims she had invented the allegations.

“Hollie was asked to draw pictures and describe sexual acts to see if there was any signs she might be lying.

“Both reports, carried out by two separate doctors, came back saying that 100% she was telling the truth and had been sexually abused.”

Mrs Greig said Hollie’s campaign would continue until justice has been done. “All Hollie wants is justice. She says this has ruined her childhood. She doesn’t trust anyone and I’m the only person she can be around for any length of time.”

Mrs Greig said two officers from Grampian Police visited Hollie in September and spent three-and-a-half hours interviewing her at a special facility in Shrewsbury.

Hollie and her mother, who moved to Shropshire to escape the alleged abuse, have enlisted a group of high-profile supporters, including, it is understood, singer Annie Lennox, to support their demand for a prosecution.

Mrs Greig claims that two of the alleged abusers moved to Portugal a number of years ago and that she went to her local police station in Shrewsbury to pass on that information when news broke of the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann.

Madeleine, who was three at the time, was kidnapped from her family’s holiday apartment at Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, in 2006. Police believe she was taken by a paedophile.

One of Hollie’s supporters wrote to the Crown Office in Edinburgh earlier this year querying the decision not to prosecute and received a reply from Andrew McIntyre, Head of Victims and Diversity, setting out the criteria for determining whether to bring charges.

His reply suggested that, in Hollie’s case, the decision was based on the lack of independent corroboration. Mr McIntyre gave an assurance that police were continuing to investigate “aspects of the case” and said that the ongoing inquiries prevented him from commenting further.

Grampian Police last night confirmed the force was investigating an allegation of historic sex abuse.

A Crown Office spokes-woman said late last night: "We have not received any report from the police.

“If we do receive a report it will be carefully considered in due course."

Broke Law firms dump staff to bankroll £135k expenses madness at Scottish Legal Complaints Commission

While hundreds of lawyers, trainees, paralegals and office staff face redundancy across Scotland’s dwindling legal landscape, it turns out the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission has no such problem.

Yes, folks, the SLCC is literally rolling in millions of pounds received from the solicitors complaints levy (around £5 million pounds since January 2008), added to the £2 million pounds of public money all used to fund an organisation which many MSPs dub “anti-client, anti-consumer”, and many solicitors & advocates dub “a bloody expensive waste of time & effort.”

Feel like submitting a claim to the SLCC for expenses ? (go ahead, make my day ! – Ed)

A recent article by Law blogger Peter Cherbi’s “Diary of Injustice in Scotland” reported on the expenses jollies at the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, revealing that huge claims had been made by SLCC board members, but the actual claims themselves were not disclosed, as SLCC Chief Jane Irvine claimed, out of fear that board members would develop mental health problems if everyone got to know exactly what they were claiming for (oh, the mental health line, so there must be something worth hiding then – Ed)

So, if you are feeling the pinch, or got no money in the bank despite having studied all that time at Uni, slaved your guts out, and now face seeing your law practice go down the tubes, well look no further than the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, funded by yes, you guessed it - YOUR hard errm earned money from handling legal business for thousands of Scots clients.

The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion confirmed today they are investigating the case of the missing expenses claims in the hopes that mass insanity at the SLCC over publication of their expenses claims can be avoided.

We await to see just who has been claiming what with our hard earned money ...

Scotland's 'rent boy’ justice system under investigation as revelations speak of ‘impropriety’ among leading figures in legal establishment

Magic Circle affair brought down Lord Dervaird. While reports leaking out from a divorce case this evening suggest that at least one senior member of Scotland's legal establishment, and several leading lawyers are currently 'under investigation' for ‘impropriety’ with teenage male prostitutes in Edinburgh and across Scotland, we take a look back at the 'Magic Circle scandal, which was unsurprisingly put to bed in the early 1990's in the traditional Scottish way as “nothing happened here, move along please” (oops, looks like they were errm .. wrong ?- Ed)

Ah those were the days (now upon us again ! – Ed)

Magic Circle Affair

Lockerbie Case : SNP’s Christine Grahame challenges QC Paul McBride over tampered bomb timer evidence

In an interesting report on last night’s BBC Newsnight Scotland, the Scottish Nationalist Party’s Christine Grahame MSP challenged QC Paul McBride over allegations that key evidence used to convict Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland was tampered with, and went on to travel around the globe on unlogged journeys, potentially contaminating the evidence’s credibility.

Newsnight Scotland investigates the key evidence of the Lockerbie bomb timer :

Christine Grahame MSP challenges Paul McBride over tampered evidence :

Christine Grahame MSP also issued the following Press Release :

Key Lockerbie evidence “unsafe” claims MSP

Scottish police investigators did not make the key piece of evidential material used to convict Abdelbaset al Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, secure an SNP MSP has claimed. Christine Grahame MSP has said the Crown Office has now confirmed to her that the fragment was taken to Germany and then to the US by Scottish investigating officers without the knowledge of the Defence team and more crucially the then Lord Advocate, Lord Fraser of Carmyle, the senior prosecutor at the time of the investigation.

In an interview for Dutch TV yet to be shown on UK television Lord Fraser was asked if the fragment, known as PT-35 (alleged to be part of the bomb’s timer) had always remained in the UK. Lord Fraser responded:

“As far as I’m aware it’s always been in the UK.”

Asked if it had ever been to the United States, Lord Fraser responds:

“Not that I’m aware of,” adding that he would have known if it had left the UK, telling Dutch reporters: “What would have gone through my mind is, I’m not accusing the FBI or anything… [but] could this evidence get lost, or damaged or tampered with? No, no I would want to keep everything so that there can be no accusations at a trial that in some way [the fragment] has been fiddled with.”

Now SNP MSP Christine Grahame has confirmed that the same fragment also went to Germany two months before being sent across the Atlantic to Washington without, it seems, the knowledge of the Lord Advocate and the Crown Office. Ms Grahame herself a former lawyer, also claims Scottish police investigators did not record the fragment’s transportation across the world and in doing so broke the vital chain of evidence undermining the integrity of the fragment. She said:

“The Crown Office have confirmed to me that the fragment, PT-35, the piece of evidence that it was claimed by prosecutors linked Libya to the attack was also sent to Germany in April 1990 as well as the US.

“On the 22nd of June 1990 it was then taken to the FBI lab in Washington for examination by FBI officials there. Lord Fraser makes it clear he did not know and would not have allowed this evidence to be taken out of Scottish jurisdiction and control, but that is precisely what did happen. That leaves a very serious question mark over the central piece of evidence used to convict Mr Megrahi."

The senior Scottish police investigator involved in the case, retired Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Henderson told Dutch journalists last December,

“We couldn’t afford to let something like that go. It has never been in their [US] control at all. It couldn’t be, because it was such an important point of evidence it wasn’t possible to release it. It had to be contained to be produced at the court therefore you couldn’t afford to have it waved around for everyone to see it because it could have got interfered with.”

“But that is precisely what appears to have happened,” Ms Grahame said and separately confirmed she has seen additional documents yet to be made public that showed DCS Henderson had told Crown prosecution officials in a formal legal statement that the fragment had indeed been to the US. Ms Grahame added:

“I am not sure why DCS Henderson’s statements made separately to Dutch TV and to the Crown Office contradict each other so starkly. That is a matter for Mr Henderson to explain. Either this fragment was in the US or it was not.

“I am deeply concerned that during the investigation and indeed leading all the way up to the Trial that neither the Crown nor Megrahi’s Defence were ever made aware that this crucial piece of evidence was being ‘waved around for everyone to see’ as DCS Henderson put it.

“Questions also need to be answered about the associated evidence log that was meant to accompany PT-35. It mysteriously does not record that the fragment went to the US or Germany, even though the Crown Office has confirmed in writing that it definitely went to Germany."

Lockerbie : Al Megrahi publishes appeal documents online

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi – My Story. A website set up for Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, and recently released on compassionate grounds by the SNP controlled Scottish Government, has now published documents relating to his appeal, which it increasingly looks like no one in the Scottish justice system wanted to hear due to what would be uncovered.

The website can be found here : Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi – My Story

BBC News reports :

Bomber publishes appeal documents

The Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing has published documents on the internet which he claims will prove his innocence.

Hundreds of pages relating to the appeal by Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi were put on a new website.

Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, was freed on compassionate grounds last month.

Before his release, he dropped his second appeal against conviction for killing 270 people in 1988.

His Scottish lawyers, Taylor and Kelly, said the documents published on the website related to that appeal.

In a statement, Megrahi said: "I have returned to Tripoli with my unjust conviction still in place.

"As a result of the abandonment of my appeal, I have been deprived of the opportunity to clear my name through the formal appeal process.

"I have vowed to continue my attempts to clear my name."

Megrahi was jailed in 2001 after being convicted by a Scottish Court in the Netherlands of the UK's worst terrorist atrocity.

A first appeal against that conviction failed and he dropped a second appeal last month.

Legal Aid Board Chief Douglas Haggarty escapes prosecution over Glasgow rent boy toilet incident

Senior SLAB lawyer Douglas Haggarty, charged with offence involving teenage male prostitute. After being charged over an incident involving an alleged encounter with a ‘rent boy’ (young male prostitute) in a Glasgow shopping centre toilet, Douglas Haggarty, the Legal Services Chief at the Scottish Legal Aid Board has been rescued by Tory Lord Advocate hopeful Paul McBride QC, and will now not face a court. having been dealt with by a ‘direct penalty’, although strangely enough, the Crown Office are rather reluctant to admit what penalty has been imposed.

Allegations of a ‘rent boy justice system’ persist …

LAWYER CLEARED IN RENT BOY QUIZ

Aid chief keeps job Daily Record 15/08/2009
By Paul Thornton

A LEGAL Aid boss, who was arrested in a toilet with a rent boy, has kept his job and won't be struck off as a lawyer.

Douglas Haggarty, 58, was found with the teenager by security guards in British Home Stores in the St Enoch Centre, Glasgow, in January.

The head of legal services at the Scottish Legal Aid Board, where his duties include lecturing lawyers on their conduct, was charged with soliciting in a public place.

But his lawyer, Paul McBride, QC, claimed there was not enough evidence and charges were dropped.

The Crown Office said Haggarty had been dealt with by a direct measure but would not say whether it was a warning letter, fine or other penalty.

Now the Law Society of Scotland have revealed he will face no professional sanctions.

The high-flying lawyer, who lives in Glasgow's Merchant City, went off sick from work after the incident but is understood to have been back for several months.

A Law Society spokesman said: "The society's client care committee took account of the fiscal's decision and reasons for it."

A SLAB spokesman said: "It would be inappropriate for the board to comment on a matter personal to a member of staff."

Charges against the teenager were also dropped.

Lockerbie : Al Megrahi says public inquiry must take place into bombing of Pan Am Flight 103

THE HERALD newspaper in an exclusive interview with Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland in December 1988 reveals today that Mr Megrahi supports calls for a full inquiry into the terrorist attack over 20 years ago that claimed 270 lives.

We at Scottish Law Reporter support the call for a far reaching, fully independent inquiry into the Lockerbie case.

The Herald newspaper reports :

The truth never dies

EXCLUSIVE: Megrahi demands Lockerbie inquiry

By Ian Ferguson and Lucy Adams in Tripoli

The man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing has backed demands for a far-reaching public inquiry into the atrocity, saying the international community owes that to the families of the 270 victims.

In his first full-length interview since being released last week, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi told The Herald: "We all want to know the truth. The truth never dies."

Speaking from a hospital bed at his home in Tripoli, Megrahi talked extensively about his 10-year battle with the Scottish legal system and insisted he did not commit the worst terrorist act on mainland Britain.

The revelation comes in the wake of The Herald's exclusive interview with the son of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Saif al Islam al Gaddafi claimed the proposed prisoner transfer deal with Britain had targeted Megrahi and was linked to talks on trade and oil, but that his release on compassionate grounds was completed unrelated to commerce.

Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, revealed he dropped his appeal against the conviction because he would not live to see its outcome and was desperate to return to his family. "It is all about my family," he said. "People have said there was pressure from the Libyan authorities or Scottish authorities, but it wasn't anything like this."

Instead, he put his faith in an appeal for compassion and said he was impressed by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill during their meeting at Greenock Prison. "I thought he was a very decent man and he gave me a chance to say what I wanted and to express myself. He gave me the chance to make a presentation to him and he was very polite."

Megrahi is still determined to clear his name, partly through an autobiography, and also backs a public inquiry. Dr Jim Swire, who lost his daughter Flora in the tragedy, has already called for such an investigation, but the UK Government seems firmly opposed.

"I support the issue of a public inquiry if it can be agreed. In my view, it is unfair to the victim's families that this has not been heard. It would help them to know the truth. As I said, the truth never dies.

"If the UK guaranteed it, I would be very supportive. I would want to help Dr Swire and the others with the documents I hold."

However, he added during an hour-long interview: "My feeling is that the UK Government will avoid a public inquiry because it would be a headache for them and the Americans and it would show how much the Americans have been involved and it would also cost them a lot of money which they may not want to spend because of the recession."

Megrahi was vitriolic about the Scottish police and legal system. "I was supposed to receive a fair trial and I was supposed to be subject to fair procedure. From day one of the trial there were delays and delays from the Crown Office. "The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission found at least six grounds of appeal and said there were six grounds on which it may have been a miscarriage of justice.

"From that point we asked the Crown for more documents and more papers. We received only some of them and they were still redacted. Most of the pages were black and I think this is shameful. They were supposed to give us everything."

Referring to the revelation seven years ago that some of the police notebooks recording the aftermath of the tragedy had been destroyed, Megrahi said: "It is very strange that the police forces that dealt with the case - and there were more than 400 officers - it is very strange that many of their notebooks went missing.

When one officer was asked about a notebook, he said it was destroyed. I find this very strange. Surely to destroy the notebooks of so many people is a decision that someone must have been made? This is not fair and is a big question mark about the case."

He said his priority now is to spend time with his five children, the youngest of whom is still of primary school age. "It was always my dream to come back to my family. It was in my prayers every day and when I received the diagnosis, even more so."

A new opinion poll for BBC Scotland has revealed most Scots think Megrahi should have died in jail. It also suggested more than two-thirds of Scots think Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been damaged by the release.

An even bigger majority believe it has had a detrimental effect on the Scottish Government, although more than half of those interviewed thought Mr MacAskill's should not resign. The poll findings emerged as opposition leaders at Westminster pledged to pursue Mr Brown because of his continuing silence.

Tory leader David Cameron said the Prime Minister had to be honest about any dealings with the Libyan government, while Nick Clegg, of the LibDems, demanded that he "come clean".

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW IN TODAY'S HERALD NEWSPAPER OR ONLINE HERE ...

Lockerbie : Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill explains decision on Al Megrahi release to Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh today heard a statement from Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill explaining his decision to release on compassionate grounds, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland in December 1988.

Amidst some self congratulatory questions from Mr MacAskill’s colleagues in the Scottish National Party, some half decent questions & points from a few MSPs and, admittedly some ludicrous suggestions from members of the opposition that Mr Al Megrahi could have been released to a ‘hospice’, party political point scoring did inevitably take over several times to an otherwise lacklustre parliamentary session on possibly Alex Salmond’s administration’s most important policy decision to-date.

Observers to the Lockerbie case in general are left with little doubt that if there is to be an inquiry into the Lockerbie case and the trial of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, such inquiries will have to be conducted internationally as obviously there is little hope of effective debate, transparency or further investigation in Scotland (don’t forget that next week Holyrood has another bite at the Lockerbie case, so we can all look forward to a repeat of today’s non event – Ed)

Today’s statement by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to the Scottish Parliament & questions asked by various MSPs :

Lockerbie : Law Society of Scotland President accuses US Government of bullying Scotland over Al Megrahi release

As quoted in today’s session of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh by Michael Matheson MSP, the Law Society of Scotland supported the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988

Here follows an interview with the President of the Law Society of Scotland, Ian ‘73k’ Smart, who talks about the release on compassionate grounds, while also accusing the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, of being a bully in her opinions expressed to the Scottish Government over Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill’s consideration over the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi.

Interestingly, while Ian Smart and the Law Society may well have supported the release of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, they are a little less supportive of a full independent inquiry, which would probably end up damaging many institutions of Scots Law (including the biggest bully of them all, the Law Society of Scotland itself - Ed)

Law Society President Ian Smart speaks on the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, accuses US of bullying …