AN assistant chief constable accused of cheating on a command course will learn his fate next week.

Police Scotland's Wayne Mawson will go before a closed meeting of Scottish Police Authority's complaints and conduct committee next Thursday.

The specially convened meeting will decide whether Mr Mawson is to face an investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct- which would be carried out by another body, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.

The decision could have a huge impact on the career of Mr Mawson, who is seen as a close ally of outgoing chief constable Sir Stephen House, and a champion of controversial stop and search targets.

Mr Mawson has been accused of passing off a subordinate's work as his own as he tried to secure the qualification necessary to keep his job.

The potentially career-ending allegations were formally referred to the SPA, the force's main civilian watchdog, this summer.

That came after an internal inquiry by Police Scotland's Counter-Corruption Unit following an anonymous tip-off.

The referral to the authority was made by Deputy Chief Constable Neil Richardson. Although unproven, the allegations sent shockwaves through the highest ranks in Police Scotland.

The accusations of cheating relate to Mr Mawson's attendance at the UK College of Policing's prestigious Strategic Command Course (SCC) in Sunningdale, Berkshire, earlier this year.

Normally an assistant chief constable would be expected to have already passed the two-month Sunningdale course or an equivalent before taking up their post.

However, Mr Mawson was appointed ACC, with responsibility for community policing in western Scotland, without having completed the command course. He graduated in March, at his first attempt, two years after being appointed.

One of the tasks at the course was to design a new system for dealing with a particular branch of policing. It is alleged that Mr Mawson submitted work carried out by an officer under his command.

That officer is not thought to be under investigation.

It is understood that all command course candidates had signed a document saying all work would be their own.

The SPA's job is not to decide whether they are true or not; it is to assess whether the allegations, if they were proven, would amount to misconduct or gross misconduct.

The complaints and conduct committee, chaired by former Highland councillor Ian Ross, must assess whether such allegations, if true, would pass that test. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner Kate Frame. Ms Frame's team would then judge the factual merits of the allegations.

Police Scotland cannot judge the merits of complaints against its own chief officers. These must be referred to SPA and, if they relate to alleged misconduct, PIRC.

The consequences for officers found guilty of misconduct or gross misconduct are extremely serious and include dismissal or demotion.

An SPA spokeswoman said: "Consideration of complaints and conduct issues are confidential and the SPA has a policy of not commenting on individual cases."

Police Scotland did not wish to comment.

The SPA has also received another complaint about Mr Mawson's appointment as assistant chief constable or ACC in 2013.

This comes from Angela Wilson, who served as an ACC in the old Tayside force. She is complaining about Sir Stephen, not Mr Mawson. Specifically, she says it was unfair that Mr Mawson was give the as one of House’s top lieutenants before completing the command course.

Ms Wilson retired early from the new single force, claiming she was marginalised by the new management.