LOTHIAN and Borders Police confirmed last night that a detective who
has been involved in controversy over an alleged offer of immunity to
the Fettesgate raider has been transferred to other duties.
Detective Sergeant Peter Brown has been moved for ''operational
reasons'', said a spokesman. He will be based at Drylaw police station
in Edinburgh as a sergeant.
His transfer comes soon after the abrupt retirement of the force's
head of CID, Detective Chief Superintendent William Hiddleston, which
was announced last Friday.
The two officers have been named in reports which alleged that they
offered an immunity deal to an Edinburgh solicitor, Mr Nigel Beaumont,
who said he was acting for the man who broke into Lothian and Borders'
headquarters.
The deal, which brought the return of stolen police documents, is now
the subject of an inquiry by the deputy chief constable of Tayside, Mr
William Spence.
Earlier yesterday, a stand-in head of Lothian and Borders CID was
appointed to review the work of the department.
Chief Constable Sir William Sutherland has named Chief Superintendent
Andrew Brown as temporary head of the department.
The statement said: ''During his tenure of office, Chief
Superintendent Brown will conduct a review of the headquarters CID
functions and make recommendations on organisational change and
particularly the line responsibility of the CID's senior ranks.''
The reference to this review of departmental organisation is being
seen in the context of Sir William's comments last week that he had been
angered by the leak of a police report alleging a gay conspiracy to
pervert the course of justice by senior figures in the legal
establishment.
Sir William spoke of ''gross disloyalty to me, gross
unprofessionalism'' and a small group of officers acting as a law unto
themselves.
Mr Brown, from Kelso, who is in his mid-forties, was promoted to chief
superintendent earlier this year and appointed to head the force's
Edinburgh's city-centre division.
Since joining the force in 1964, he has risen through the ranks and
recently completed the senior command course at the Police Staff College
at Bramshill, Hampshire.
Mr Brown insisted yesterday that the review was ''nothing
extraordinary'' as he had conducted previous departmental
reorganisations. ''If improper procedures become apparent then I shall
report them,'' he said.
The permanent post of head of Lothian CID will be advertised
nationally, although internal candidates will be invited. But it is
expected the post will not be filled until the investigation into the
aftermath of Fettesgate is completed.
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