The origins stretch back to the autumn of 87

discovered by directors of builders Teague Homes: finance director

Gordon May and company secretary, lawyer Colin Tucker, of Burnett

Walker, WS, implicated.

1988

APRIL: Law Society begins investigation into law firm Burnett Walker

and finds clients' funds missing. Regional procurator-fiscal Douglas

Allan orders police inquiry.

JUNE 4: Burnett Walker senior partner Ian Walker hangs himself.

1989

DECEMBER 20 Burnett Walker partner Colin Tucker cleared by jury of

embezzling #46,000 at High Court trial before Lord McCluskey.

DECEMBER 23 High Court Judge Lord Dervaird resigns.

1990

JANUARY: Detective Inspector Peter Robertson and Detective Sergeant

Charlie Orr investigate gay vice ring in Operation Planet.

FEBRUARY: Six men appear in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court facing

charges arising from Operation Planet.

MARCH: Four more men appear in court charged with indecency in above

case.

APRIL: Crown Office instructs police to investigate misappropriation

of funds by May and Tucker from Teague Homes.

DECEMBER 5: Gay hairdresser Kevin Crawford gives fraud squad

information on his former partner Stephen Conroy, 22, alleging mortgage

fraud and that Conroy had relationship with a sheriff.

1991

JANUARY: Crown counsel, following discussions with defence counsel,

drop 47 of original 57 charges in Operation Planet. Five men freed.

Edinburgh lawyer, involved in Operation Planet, appears on charges of

having sex with teenage boy. Jury finds charges not proven.

FEBRUARY: Male prostitute Neil Duncan jailed for four years for

corruption of teenage runaway. Three co-accused have sentence deferred,

eventually freed.

MARCH: Stephen Conroy interviewed by Fraud Squad officers Detective

Inspector Mike Souter and Detective Sergeant Peter Brown about his

knowledge of a gay conspiracy amongst senior legal figures. He strings

them along to buy time.

MAY: Teague Homes trial of Colin Tucker and Gordon May at High Court

in Dunfermline before Lord Milligan: collapses after six days. Both

accused found not guilty. Robert Henderson, QC, appears for May, Maria

Maguire for Tucker.

OCTOBER: Crown Office fraud unit writes to chief constable to say no

further proceedings to be taken against Robert Henderson QC following

two police investigations going back to 1987 regarding mortgage

transactions. Senior Advocate-depute George Penrose QC concluded that

the evidence available would not justify prosecution.

NOVEMBER: MP Tam Dalyell writes to chief constable after being

approached by Radio Forth journalist David Johnston.

DECEMBER: Detective Inspector Roger Orr, under supervision of CID

chief Bill Hiddleston, assigned to compile report to allow chief

constable to respond to Mr Dalyell's letter.

1992

APRIL: Stephen Conroy arrested by fraud squad officers Souter and

Brown on mortgage fraud charges. Remanded at Saughton prison where

shares cell with gay fraudster and police informer Michael Glenn.

JUNE: Glenn sentenced to community service. On release from prison

begins touting story of Conroy's alleged gay legal contacts round

newspapers offices.

JULY 19: Break-in at Scottish Crime Squad office at Fettes HQ of

Lothian and Borders Police. Newspaper told in telephone call Animal

Liberation Front responsible.

JULY 20: Lothian and Borders deputy Hector Clark to head investigation

into Fettesgate break-in.

Stephen Conroy jailed for six years by Lord Horsburgh at High Court on

mortgage fraud charges totalling #280,000.

JULY 28: Scotland on Sunday journalist Ron McKay arrested in dawn raid

after article appears claiming Animal Liberationists staged Fettesgate

break-in and that he had seen documents.

AUGUST 3: Call to Herald tells how gay criminal employed two

professional criminals to carry out Fettesgate raid.

AUGUST 4: Police say ALF claim is smokescreen and concentrate

inquiries on Edinburgh's gay criminals.

AUGUST 5: Two holdalls of stolen documents recovered after Edinburgh

lawyer meets Detective Chief Superintendent Bill Hiddleston and

Detective Sergeant Peter Brown to offer deal. Later claimed immunity

deal was struck with police.

SEPTEMBER 11: Fresh police embarrassment as Magic Circle report is

leaked to Edinburgh Evening News.

SEPTEMBER 14: Lord Advocate, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, announces

official Magic Circle inquiry.

SEPTEMBER 20: Herald investigation of report concludes there is no

Magic Circle, finds report is flawed, inaccurate, and based on

unsubstantiated rumour fuelled by disgruntled police officers angry at

outcome of number of fraud cases and Operation Planet.

OCTOBER 5: Deputy Chief Constable Hector Clark apologises to former

Lord Advocate now Scottish Office Minister Lord Peter Fraser over

alleged remarks made in football boardroom.

OCTOBER 15: Edinburgh lawyer claims police are reneging on immunity

deal struck over Fettesgate break-in.

OCTOBER 23: Sir William Sutherland announces Bill Hiddleston retiring

early. Fraud Squad Detective Sergent Peter Brown moved to uniform

duties.

OCTOBER 24: Chief Constable admits belief that group of detectives

leaked Magic Circle report.

NOVEMBER 27: After internal inquiry fails to find culprit who leaked

Magic Circle report, detectives moved to uniform duties. Shake-up

involves author of report, DI Roger Orr, deputy head of Fraud Squad DI

Mike Souter, DS Charlie Orr, of Operation Planet, and Peter Brown who

moved in October.

DECEMBER 18: Sun carries expose of how Magic Circle investigator

William Nimmo Smith had been duped into briefing gay criminal.

DECEMBER 22: Crown Office announces no-one will be charged with Fettes

break-in and there will be no further proceedings against Ron McKay on

reset charges.