ONE of Scotland's most senior police officers is under investigation after a complaint was made that he cheated on an elite command course.
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson has been accused of passing a subordinate's work off as his own as he tried to secure the qualification necessary to keep his job.
The potentially career-ending allegations have been formally referred to the national force's main watchdog, the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).
This comes 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 within the last few weeks.
It is understood the allegations are being assessed to establish if they warrant a full-scale formal and independent investigation.
Force insiders say the claims, even though they have not been proved, have already sent shockwaves through the highest ranks in Police Scotland.
This is because Mr Mawson is widely seen as a close ally of, and even potential long-term successor to, chief constable Sir Stephen House, who is retiring.
It is also because Mr Mawson has also been one of the most politically high profile chief officers in Scotland.
As the public face of controversial stop-and-search tactics, he drew intense fire inside Holyrood and out.
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, which is made up of lay people and local politicians must now assess the cheating claims.
Its 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.
A committee of the SPA on complaints and conduct will meet later this summer to assess whether such allegations, if true, would pass that test. If so, the investigation will be forwarded to another independent watchdog, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) Kate Frame. Ms Frame's team, if they decided there was a case to answer, would judge the factual merits of the allegations.
The SPA can only judge the matter if it is deemed to be one relating to Mr Mawson's performance rather than alleged misconduct.
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.
The SPA, citing confidentiality, declines to comment on all conduct or complaints matters.
The Herald, through Police Scotland, asked Mr Mawson to comment on the cheating allegations and related investigation. He declined.
Police Scotland also declined to comment.
Labour MSP Graeme Pearson is a former deputy chief constable who has himself completed what he called the "high-octane" strategic command course.
He said: "In the context of the course, such allegations will rightly be thoroughly investigated."
Read: Analysis: the political headache of a senior officer accused of cheating
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