Lotto for Blotto : Ex Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini clears Alex Salmond ALEX SALMOND, Scotland’s First Minister has been cleared of any wrongdoing in hosting events at Bute House which included meetings with Scots Euromillions Lotto winners Colin & Chris Weir who have stated they will donate substantial sums to the SNP’s independence referendum. The report, written by one of Mr Salmond’s very own Ministerial Complaints Advisers who he personally appointed and referred himself to, former Lord Advocate now Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC (born McPhilomy) states no public funds were used in the party at Bute House and no Ministerial rules had been breached in relation to complaints made by Scottish Labour MSP Paul Martin.
The report by Dame Elish Angiolini which can be read online here : Dame Elish Angiolini's report into FM Weir complaint clears Mr Salmond, who personally appointed Angiolini as Ministerial Complaints Adviser along with another former Lord Advocate Lord Fraser of Carmyllie who was once charged in connection with an air rage incident onboard an aircraft and who recently cleared Mr Salmond of another complaint involving an honour for another SNP donor, Brian Souter
Mr Salmond, pleased with Dame Angiolini’s report went on to thank the former Lord Advocate who recently began court action to silence the claims of Robert Green, an investigative journalist who was jailed for a year after handing out a handful of leaflets campaigning for an inquiry into the case of Hollie Greig, a downs syndrome victim who reported allegations of historical abuse to Grampian Police she was the victim of a paedophile gang in Aberdeen.
Dame Angiolini, the former Lord Advocate, who Mr Salmond said he was “grateful to … for their diligence and thoroughness in carrying out reviews such as this” has previously threatened legal action against Scots law publications such as “The Firm” for reporting on the Hollie Greig case and the abuse claims, which centre on figures in the legal world from Aberdeen around ten years ago. Journalists at several Scottish newspapers have also admitted lawyers acting for the Lord Advocate made “veiled threats” against publication of the abuse victim’s allegations.
Moves reported by Scottish Law Reporter earlier this week regarding the former Lord Advocate’s latest attempts to silence claims over the Hollie Greig case show that Dame Elish is trying to use anti-stalking laws she supported the introduction of, to silence the campaigning journalist and block any attempts by Mr Green to contact her. The documents, published now as a matter of public record also name a number of websites which it is claimed are linked to the campaign to out alleged child abusers. The Court interlocutor, which is a public document, can be viewed and downloaded here : Interlocutor Elish Angiolini v Robert Green re Hollie Greig case
While the former Lord Advocate is being represented by Balfour & Manson, she has curiously given her home address in the documents as the Glasgow law firm of LEVY MCRAE who number among their other clients, shamed former Glasgow City Council Boss & Cocaine addict Steven Purcell. The law firm also works for clients in the tax dodging haven of the Cayman Islands.
Scottish Government Press Release on First Minister’s relief of being cleared by himself:
Independent report clears FM in Bute House complaint
The First Minister did not breach the Scottish Ministerial Code by welcoming personal guests to Bute House, an independent report into a complaint made by Paul Martin MSP has concluded.
Mr Martin alleged that the use of Bute House, the First Minister’s official residence, to host a private meeting between the First Minister and Colin and Chris Weir in September 2011 had been a breach of paragraph 7 of the Code.
The Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC – an independent adviser to the Scottish Government on the Ministerial Code – has found there was no breach of the code during this meeting and there was no prima facie evidence which might have formed the basis of a stateable complaint under the Code.
In her report, Dame Elish refers to paragraph 7.2 of the code, which explicitly permits the use of Bute House by ministers to host personal or party events, provided that no cost falls on the public purse - finding that no public resources had been used in this case.
Dame Elish Angiolini’s report says: “Bute House is the designated official residence of the First Minister. The visit to Bute House was of a personal/party nature. Any such visit is expressly permitted by the Scottish Ministerial Code provided no resources are used from the public purse. The tea and biscuits were provided from the First Minister’s private resources stored in his apartment at Bute House. “As paragraph 7.2 gives explicit permission to host personal or party events at Bute House, provided such events are not resourced from the public purse, the nature and substance of any discussions which took place are not relevant to the Code. The First Minister has nonetheless indicated that there was no discussion about money or donations and confirmed that the visit took place in private with only the First Minister in attendance.”
The report concludes: “There has been no breach of the Scottish Ministerial Code and no prima facie evidence forming the basis of a stateable complaint under the Code.”
First Minister Alex Salmond said: “I would like to thank Dame Elish for her typically balanced and clear report, the findings of which clearly demonstrate that there was no impropriety whatsoever at this private meeting in Bute House. I welcome the report and I am sure that Mr Martin will also be reassured by Dame Elish’s conclusions, which demonstrate that I acted entirely in accordance with the Scottish Ministerial Code. This will be the fifth complaint to be referred to the independent panel of advisers I introduced in 2008 to rule on these matters. I am delighted that each complaint has been dismissed and the advisers concluded my ministers and I have acted entirely properly.
Mr Samond went on, unable to resist adding to his lengthy statement : “I remain grateful to Dame Elish and to the Rt Hon Lord Fraser of Carmyllie QC - as well as their predecessors, Lord Steel and the Rt Hon George Reid - for their diligence and thoroughness in carrying out reviews such as this.”
A political commentator said he was not surprised the former Lord Advocate cleared the First Minister. He said : “This is why we have Ministerial complaints advisers – to clear Ministers of all complaints.”
ANGIOLINI’S BATTLE WITH ABUSE CAMPAIGN :
Scottish Law Reporter recently covered Mr Green’s release from jail after he was sentenced to ONE YEAR in Aberdeen’s Craiginches Prison for a breach of the peace, by Sheriff Principal Edward Bowen. Reports on developments in the hugely expensive case also claimed Sheriff Bowen failed to declare relationships with key figures central to the case which included the now former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC (née McPhilomy).
It was also revealed the case against the anti abuse campaigner ranked as Scotland’s most expensive ever Breach of the Peace trial which saw a record HALF A MILLION POUNDS spent on the investigation & trial of Mr Green, a case which tunnelled through the Scottish Courts system for over two years at huge cost to taxpayers.
A reminder of previous events in the trial of anti abuse campaigner Robert Green can be viewed in earlier coverage by Scottish Law Reporter HERE and further coverage of the Hollie Greig. Scottish Law Reporter recently published an investigation into the knighthood of Angiolini, apparently recommended by the Scottish Government. Dame Elish Angiolini was also appointed Ministerial complaints adviser to Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond. More recently, Dame Elish Angiolini was also appointed to the post of Principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford.
Former Lord Advocate now Dame Elish Angiolini employed Levy McRae to go after anti abuse campaigner. Levy McRae are well known for a ‘colourful’ list of clients, including shamed former Glasgow City Council Boss & Cocaine addict Steven Purcell and former Lord Advocate, now Dame Elish Angiolini who took on Levy McRae to sue anti abuse campaigner Robert Green. Levy McRae proceeded to threaten several media outlets & journalists over their reporting of the case, covered by Scottish Law Reporter HERE & HERE. The Purcell scandal caused some newspapers to ‘evaluate’ their relationship with Levy McRae, details of which were featured in a report here : HERE. Levy McRae are also known to work for clients in the well known tax dodging haven of the Cayman Islands.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has ties to Levy Mcrae. As details of the Hollie Greig case began to be reported in the wider press, it emerged the Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill has personal links to LEVY MCRAE, the law firm employed by the then Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini in legal action over the abuse case allegations. Mr MacAskill has made no comment on the fact he served his apprenticeship at Levy McRae and also worked at the firm for a considerable time during his years as a solicitor before he entered politics. The revelations of MacAskill’s links to Levy McRae, the same law firm who represented Steven Purcell, were reported by Scottish Law Reporter at the time, HERE
6 comments:
Just imagine being delighted someone involved in all this "clears" you of any wrongdoing.
Shows us all right enough we are better off without blotto in charge.
So if an abuse victim wins the euromillions and coughs up for the SNP Scottish fourth reich they get to party with eck and their attackers end up with a clean slate
nauseating!
Was it Cantona who said, 'When your modus operandi is dealing with the festering and fish gut smelly filthy world of Scottish political & procurator service then you cannot complain when you stop of people noticing that you still smell of fish?
It stinks to high heaven.
The fact that McPhoney has been made a Dame is a shocker in itself?
Is Voldermare (she who's name must not be mentioned for something evil will happen) not under criminal investigationby the police, whilst presiding over this decision?
Not a very good vote of consequence, especially if she is found guilty as this would surely invalidate the efficacy of her findings?
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