Two former Rangers administrators wrongfully arrested during a doomed fraud probe into the club have settled their multi-million pound claims against Scotland’s top law officer.
Lawyers for David Whitehouse and Paul Clark reached an out-of-court settlement in the long-running legal fight.
The business experts launched a £20.8 million claim against prosecutors and Police Scotland over their “unlawful” arrests.
It’s understood the settlement for Whitehouse, 55, and Clark, 55, runs to several million pounds apiece, although the exact sum hasn’t been disclosed.
Last month the pair settled their compensation claims against the police.
Sources said discussions are ongoing about the exact wording of an apology to the men to be delivered by Lord Advocate James Wolffe, QC. That apology is not expected to come before the new year.
Lawyers acting for the Crown Office previously admitted the pair were the subject of a “malicious” prosecution.
Whitehouse and Clark’s legal actions stemmed from their alleged treatment by police and prosecution authorities.
They were appointed administrators of Rangers in February 2012 in the wake of its takeover by Craig Whyte the previous year. The club was liquidated in October 2012 and both Whitehouse and Clark left their positions.
They had informed Strathclyde Police that the club’s acquisition by Whyte through a firm, Wavetower, may have involved illegal financial assistance.
But they were later detained by cops in dawn raids at their homes in 2014 on suspicion of being involved in a “fraudulent scheme and attempt to pervert the course of justice”.
Whitehouse, of Cheshire, and Clark, of Surrey, maintain that at no point was there any justification for their detention or prosecution.
Both men saw the charges against them dropped.
It was claimed in their legal action that there wasn’t any justification for their detention, committal or prosecution, and the Crown never had sufficient evidence for any charges it brought.
At a hearing last week, Gerry Moynihan QC, acting for the Lord Advocate, told a court hearing for the Whitehouse and Clark case: “The Lord Advocate has accepted that those two shouldn’t have been prosecuted.
“They’re entitled to be compensated.”
He said the Lord Advocate intends to apologise to them in public, adding: “It is now a matter of public record that there was no probable cause against these two individuals and they ought not to have been prosecuted.”
A Crown office spokeswoman said: “The cases are still before the court and in order to respect the processes underway we will not comment at this time.
“The Lord Advocate has made clear that he will support appropriate public accountability and intends to make a statement to the Scottish Parliament in due course.”
Ex-Duff & Phelps executive David Grier is also suing the Crown and Police Scotland over his “wrongful arrest” during the investigation into alleged wrongdoing at the club.
Police suspected Grier, of London, had broken the law during the sale of the Ibrox side and he was charged with fraud and conspiracy. Grier was later cleared of wrongdoing.
Lord Tyre set a further hearing in the case for next month.
In 2017 Whyte was cleared of taking over the club by fraud after a seven-week trial.
