Police plan crackdown on gangland contracts

Chief Reporter

Tuesday 31 July 2012

The appointment of a powerful new intelligence commissioner is being considered under proposals to stop organised criminals and their businesses securing multimillion-pound legitimate contracts.

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Lucy Adams Chief Reporter

The independent judicial figure would analyse sensitive information and advise councils, public bodies and private companies on whether to grant contracts to specific firms.

The aim is to ensure companies with links to gangland bosses cannot win big contracts with private or public-sector organisations.

Senior police officers and government officials are working on a "scoping exercise" to set up the post.In December 2009, a controversial £2 million NHS Glasgow taxi contract was awarded to Network Private Hire, despite concerns from police over the company's alleged criminal links.Strathclyde Police wrote twice to the health board advising against awarding the contract to the taxi firm. But the board said it could face legal action if the deal was not approved. Currently police are unable to share sensitive intelligence with third parties. They can only give "sanitised" advice and cannot reveal sources. The details of who would pay for applications to an information or intelligence commissioner have not yet been agreed. Senior officers said the model could be based on that of UK officials who scrutinise intrusive surveillance, such as bugging houses.Surveillance commissioners are appointed by the Prime Minister and must hold or have held a position as a senior judge. Detective Chief Superintendent John Cuddihy, head of serious and organised crime and counter-terrorism with Strathclyde Police, said: "It's about due diligence and other organisations using due diligence to ensure they are only engaging with fit and proper people. "I can understand where third- party partners are coming from. If the police can only give a very sanitised version of that information they feel their hands are tied. That would be one of the reasons we would consider and certainly be supportive of an intelligence commissioner. "That commissioner would be an individual with a judicial background. It would allow the police to impart information, in the same way you would impart information to a sheriff to get a warrant." Mr Cuddihy added: "You could provide information to a high court judge and the judge could advise the third party that, having reviewed all the information, those individuals are or are not linked to serious organised crime. "If the third party is challenged, and asked why they are depriving a client of a contract, they have recourse to a judicial document. "It would require a change in legislation. The Scottish Government have undertaken to research it and do a feasibility study. There is a scoping exercise being carried out through the national Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce. "The commissioner could protect the rights of a host of people, including the police and the person or group the information is about."The social and economic costs of drugs misuse in Scotland are estimated to be more than £2.6 billion a year, and fraud – much of which is carried out by serious organised crime groups – costs £330 per person in Scotland each year.A record £100m in cash and assets has been seized from criminals by Strathclyde Police in the past three years – partly because officers are seizing increasing amounts of dirty money. Police have also focused on working with the private and public sector, sharing information and advice to support groups in standing up to criminals and denying their attempts to take on big contracts.Strathclyde's Assistant Chief Constable, Ruaridh Nicholson, said: "If we accuse people of being involved in organised crime, they will challenge that and we get legal letters from them. We're trying to do stuff in the background on procurement and legislation on this." He added: "You could also use a commissioner in relation to licensing decisions. For the licensing boards, converting intelligence into evidence is difficult and this is exactly how a commissioner could help. "There is intelligence we can't share with non-judicial persons. There is legislation that prevents us from doing that. We think the judicial process is the solution to the problem and it would help to bring down a whole variety of different crime groups." A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We are aware that Scottish law enforcement colleagues are developing a proposal for an intelligence commissioner. "We will consider the details of that proposal once we have received it."

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Police plan crackdown on gangland contracts

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