I now need to provide the balance that the Standards Commisioner would not do and publish my defence against the complaint.
It’s essential that I say up front that there will be plenty of unhappy people when they read this material but all of this could have been avoided had the 4 complainants taken one of the four chances they had to withdraw the complaint.
I also need to say that when you give evidence to the Standards Commissioner or his staff, verbally or in writing, it is effectively under oath. Therefore, any facts in my defence are truthful and any opinions are fair comment based on my knowledge of how Argyll & Bute works, or doesn’t.
Another thing worth saying at the start is that, unlike the criminal justice system, the Standards Commissioner acts as both the police and the procurator fiscal, ie they do the investigating and they also decide if it’s worth prosecuting. This is a fundamental flaw in the system that should never have been allowed. My view is that their investigation was so patently flawed that had this been a criminal matter and been carried out by the police, the PF would have binned it. But no, they carry out a flawed investigation and then they convince themselves it’s worth pursuing. And this in a modern Scotland?
The system is that when the Standards Commissioner receives a complaint, they assess if it’s worthy of investigation. If they consider that it is, they write to you and ask you to respond to the complaint. My first response is provided at the link below. I have had to be very frank but I have been entirely truthful so any offence given to anyone is just too bad. I have had to be frank to defend myself from this politically motivated complaint.
You may wish to refer to the earlier case papers setting out the complaint but my response is probably enough. The earlier papers are here and here.
The link below covers my initial response and then gives more information I sent them after I had a lengthy interview in Edinburgh in October 15 accompanied by my solicitor.
There will be more tomorrow.
Appalled to read of your struggle but a great piece of investigate and reporting work for which any voter would be grateful for, thank you!. I’m sure there aren’t many out there, individuals like you ,who put the time and energy into getting the truth of things, stimulated by your professionalism sense of fairness and justice on behalf of the people of Argyll ,rather than the self gain the Administration lap dogs and rats in Kilmory strive for. But then again, Councillor Walsh is just an easy victim, easy to buy – if not him they have others similarly simple to buy-some coerced into smearing and standing against you, for just reporting findings,on behalf of the community that uncover gross maladministration on an industrial scale that may damage the Kilmoryoply main goal – monetary and political gain.