{"id":18400,"date":"2021-04-07T03:51:30","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T07:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=18400"},"modified":"2021-04-07T03:51:30","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T07:51:30","slug":"david-grier-sues-for-7m-over-charge-in-rangers-fraud-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/04\/07\/david-grier-sues-for-7m-over-charge-in-rangers-fraud-case\/","title":{"rendered":"David Grier sues for \u00a37m over charge in Rangers fraud case"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p><b class=\"ssrcss-14iz86j-BoldText e5tfeyi0\">A business consultant has told a court that his arrest during the probe into Craig Whyte&#8217;s takeover of Rangers was a &#8220;career ending moment&#8221;.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>David Grier was arrested in November 2014 but was later acquitted of all charges against him by a high court judge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The 60-year-old is now suing the Lord Advocate, who is the head of the Crown Office, Scotland&#8217;s prosecution service.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>He is also suing the police and his damages claim totals \u00a37m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier believes he was wrongfully arrested and that the Crown Office and the police did not have any evidence to prove that he had committed any crime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The Crown Office and Police Scotland are opposing the action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"unordered-list-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pzprxn-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi3\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><a class=\"ssrcss-hiczm3-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-56089329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Judge says Rangers case not fit for court<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Giving evidence at a virtual hearing of the Court of Session, Mr Grier said he was currently employed as a &#8220;managing director advisory&#8221; with Duff and Phelps, a multinational financial consultancy firm based in New York.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier was charged in 2014 along with a number of other men during an investigation into how Mr Whyte bought the company that ran the Glasgow football club three years earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>He said police arrested him at his home in the south of England at 06:00 and drove him north to Glasgow.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rangers-Ibrox-stadium.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18401\" src=\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rangers-Ibrox-stadium.jpg\" alt=\"Rangers Ibrox stadium\" width=\"480\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rangers-Ibrox-stadium.jpg 480w, https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rangers-Ibrox-stadium-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier said that seven years on, he still had no idea why he was prosecuted over his involvement in Mr Whyte&#8217;s acquisition of Rangers in 2011 from former owner Sir David Murray.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Questioned by his advocate Andrew Smith QC, Mr Grier said he had no concerns that there was anything improper about the deal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>&#8220;There was nothing unusual about that transaction,&#8221; he told the court.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>&#8220;It was a perfectly normal commercial transaction with a willing seller, if anything an overwilling seller, that was keen to get a transaction completed as soon as possible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier said he could have withdrawn from acting for Mr Whyte if he had been aware of any improper behaviour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Asked about the impact his arrest and prosecution has had on his career, Mr Grier replied: &#8220;Unfortunately being arrested for fraud when you are working in the financial sector is catastrophic. It&#8217;s a career-ending moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>&#8220;My connections that I had established over many years were suddenly no longer encouraged to deal with me, and for good reason.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-mysbf6-ComponentWrapper-CrossheadComponentWrapper e1xue1i84\" data-component=\"crosshead-block\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-qozapo-StyledHeading e1fj1fc10\">Funding arrangements<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>He said his firm was very supportive and he had been &#8220;repositioned&#8221; in the company. His new job title was now managing director (advisory).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier had said he has since tried to have articles removed from the internet but it had proved very difficult.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Of seven people arrested during the fraud investigation, Craig Whyte was the only person whose case went before a jury. He was accused of using Rangers&#8217; own money to buy the club while claiming the funds were his. He was found not guilty in 2017 after a seven week trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Police Scotland&#8217;s advocate Alastair Duncan QC put it to Mr Grier: &#8220;Your position is that you were misled\u2026as to how Craig Whyte was funding the acquisition.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier replied: &#8220;You are right. We played no part in the funding arrangements. We had no involvement in anything that the police had accused us of.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Grier denied lying to police officers involved in the inquiry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The Crown Office has already admitted that two other Duff and Phelps employees David Whitehouse and Paul Clark were subjected to &#8220;malicious&#8221; prosecutions over their role in events at Rangers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Whitehouse and Mr Clark were appointed administrators of the club in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>They have received damages from the Crown Office of \u00a310.5m each and \u00a33m in legal expenses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"unordered-list-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pzprxn-BulletListContainer e5tfeyi3\">\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><a class=\"ssrcss-hiczm3-InlineLink e1no5rhv0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-56002066\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lord Advocate says sorry to Rangers administrators<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The current Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC apologised to both men in a statement in the Scottish Parliament.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>The Crown has also admitted that there was a malicious prosecution against Charles Green, who led a consortium which took over Rangers in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper e1xue1i83\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-3z08n3-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi2\">\n<p>Mr Green is seeking damages of \u00a320m from the Lord Advocate and the chief constable.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-56651684\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\">A business consultant has told a court that his arrest during the probe into Craig Whyte&#8217;s takeover of Rangers was a &#8220;career ending moment&#8221;. David Grier was arrested in November 2014 but was later acquitted <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/04\/07\/david-grier-sues-for-7m-over-charge-in-rangers-fraud-case\/\" title=\"David Grier sues for \u00a37m over charge in Rangers fraud case\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[1184,7670,7669,655,7596,7668,1077],"class_list":{"0":"post-18400","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-uk","9":"tag-court-of-session","10":"tag-crown-office","11":"tag-david-grier","12":"tag-glasgow","13":"tag-police-scotland","14":"tag-rangers-fc","15":"tag-scotland","16":"pmpro-has-access"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18403,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18400\/revisions\/18403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}