Police chief favourite already facing probe
THE favourite to become Police Scotland’s next chief constable is already being investigated.
The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) last week launched an investigation following acomplaint about Acting Chief Constable Iain Livingstone.
The official complaint was made by Detective Constable Andrew Reid last July but was shelved while an employment tribunal was ongoing.
But, now that has finished, the complaint has gone “live” as the latest row to rock the force.
Phil Gormley last week quit as Chief Constable amid investigations into allegations of gross misconduct, pushing ACC Livingstone into becoming favourite to succeed his former boss.
Mr Gormley had been onspecial leave since September while inquiries were conducted into seven complaints made against him, some of which relate to bullying. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
The complaint against Mr Livingstone – overlooked in 2015 in favour of Mr Gormley – centres on claims he failed to deal properly with criminal allegations about officers in the Counter Corruption Unit (CCU).
Until earlier this month, Mr Reid had been fighting the force at an employment tribunal, alleging he had been victimised by anti-corruption officers.
An internal probe into the officer saw him and ex-partner Amanda Daly, who was also a serving police officer, charged over claims they looked at police computer records after being attacked while off duty in 2009.
But the criminal case was thrown out in 2015 after five years, 35 hearings and £500,000 in legal costs.
Mr Reid then launched legal action against the force, including his £900,000 employment tribunal, claiming he was harassed by the CCU during the probe.
The employment tribunal in Glasgow heard evidence over five months last year from Mr Reid, CCU officers, Mr Livingstone and former deputy Neil Richardson.
Mr Reid accused Mr Livingstone of breaking the law by snubbing his criminal gripe about the CCU. He said: “You have actively suppressed a criminal complaint,” to which Mr Livingstone replied: “This is utterly false. There is no evidence to support your assertion of criminality.”
The original letter to the SPA claimed Mr Livingstone had “failed in his duty” in handling the officer’s complaint.
Mr Reid wrote: “Mr Livingstone was in receipt of information that amounted to a complaint against the police, potentially criminal. He has no authority to treat it as a matter of internal grievance.”
Mr Reid said last night: “Police regulation is clear. All allegations of criminality about police officers should be put to the Crown Office to decide and not up to senior officers to make a call.”
An employment tribunal subsequently threw out Mr Reid’s claim, finding no fault with the actions against him.
But he has vowed to fight the decision and has appointed a QC to handle the appeal.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “If there was a reasonable inference of criminality we would refer it to the Crown Office.”