Ex-Rangers directors given apology over wrongful prosecution

Charles Green was arrested five years ago over the "alleged fraudulent acquisition" of Rangers but the prosecution was dropped

Two ex-Rangers directors have received an apology from the head of Scotland's prosecution service after they were wrongly prosecuted on fraud charges.

Both former chief executive Charles Green and director Imran Ahmad were arrested in connection with a fraud probe relating to the sale of Rangers.

But Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC has admitted the pair "should never have been prosecuted".

Mr Green and Mr Ahmad are pressing for taxpayer-funded damages.

The Lord Advocate has already apologised to two financial experts also wrongfully prosecuted in connection with the sale of Rangers and issued them with £10.5m in damages each.

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Mr Wolffe, who last month announced he was going to leave his post, said: "Between 2015 and 2016, Mr Ahmad and Mr Green were prosecuted in the High Court concerning matters associated with Rangers Football Club.

"They should not have been prosecuted and, as Lord Advocate and head of the system for the prosecution of crime in Scotland, I have apologised unreservedly that they were.

"I made a statement to the Scottish Parliament following the settlement of two related cases, and I said at that time that there had been profound departures from normal practice."

Charges against Imran Ahmad were dropped in 2018 and he is currently pursuing the Crown Office for damages

Mr Wolffe added that he felt "lessons have been learned" to "prevent a similar situation arising in the future".

A judge-led inquiry is to be held into the Rangers prosecution saga but Mr Wolffe has said the inquiry has to wait until all related legal proceedings have concluded.

The compensation claims by Mr Ahmad and Mr Green have still to be settled.

'Traumatic event'

Mr Green was unveiled as the new man behind Rangers in 2012 but stepped down the following year.

In 2015, the 67-year-old and five others, including Mr Ahmad, were charged with serious organised crime offences in relation to the acquisition of the club.

Mr Green suffered what his solicitors, Jones Whyte LLP of Glasgow, described as a "damaging, traumatic and stressful life event".