Sickening

Furious calls for judge to quit after former Rangers chairman is awarded £6.4m for malicious prosecution amid fears taxpayer bill may hit£100million

- Chris McCall

Top judge Frank Mulholland faced calls to quit last night after ex-Rangers chairman Charles Green was handed £6.4million from the taxpayer’s purse.

The former Lord Advocate triggered the malicious prosecution of Green in connection with his takeover of the Ibrox club.

The businessman accepted a multi-million pound settlement yesterday, minutes before an eight-day court hearing about the £20million claim against the Crown Office was about to start.

It is feared the total bill for the disastrous decision to prosecute those involved in the administration of Rangers will cost the public more than £100million.

Parliament voted in February for an inquiry into the fiasco when proceedings ended and politicians yesterday described the outcome at the Court of Session as “sickening”.

Former Labour MP Sir Brian Donohoe – an ex-director of fans group Rangers First – said Lord Mulholland’s reputation was so badly damaged he should quit the bench.

Mulholland became a High Court judge in 2016, the year after he sanctioned the prosecution relating to the Rangers takeover as Lord Advocate – the Government’s top law officer and head of the prosecution service in Scotland.

Donohoe, who ran Westminster’s Rangers Supporters’ Club, said: “Frank Mulholland was head of the prosecution service in 2015 when charges were brought against those involved with the purchase of Rangers.