THE new convener of Holyrood's policing committee has been criticised after failing to declare a previous professional link to the acting Chief Constable of the single force.
Green MSP John Finnie was Iain Livingstone’s Scottish Police Federation representative during a disciplinary case over a decade ago.
However, Finnie did not mention the connection before Livingstone gave evidence to two Holyrood committees.
Asked about the past link to Livingstone through the SPF, Finnie said yesterday: “You’ve established my position on this”. The phone line then went dead.
Scottish Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said: “John is a valued colleague on the justice committee, but I am alarmed that he did not see fit to declare this link with the acting Chief Constable. Police Scotland is in desperate need of scrutiny - and the public will expect such scrutiny to be conducted professionally. I would urge him to correct the record and to ensure that he declares interests fully and promptly in the future.”
Finnie, who was an SNP MSP before joining the Greens, is a former policeman who was also a full-time official for the SPF, which represents officers.
He sits on the Holyrood justice committee and last month became convener of the justice sub-committee on policing.
In September, Livingstone, in his capacity as deputy chief constable designate, gave evidence on the force’s internal complaints procedures to the sub-committee, at which Finnie asked him questions.
In January, the full Justice Committee heard from Livingstone on policing matters and Finnie again put questions to him.
However, at neither meeting did Finnie say that he was Livingstone's SPF rep during a disciplinary case around fourteen years earlier.
Livingstone had been demoted in rank after admitting falling asleep in a woman's room at the police college at Tulliallan after a drunken party. He was cleared of more serious charges.
The officer was later reinstated to his original rank after the then Tayside Chief Constable John Vine agreed the demotion was “harsh, oppressive and disproportionate”.
At the time, Finnie was quoted in an SPF capacity: “This case highlights the ease with which the system can be abused and the punitive consequences which affect not only the officer but their family.”
Livingstone has since risen to deputy chief constable and is tipped to take over from Phil Gormley, who quit as chief constable recently.
According to Labour and the Conservatives, Finnie should have declared his previous professional link with Livingstone.
A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: “This was a very serious omission and John Finnie should seek to address this at the earliest possible opportunity.
“He also owes parliament an explanation as to why he neglected to mention this very important link.”
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