Dave Whitehouse and Paul Clark have been paid £21m in compensation for malicious prosecution over their role in the administration and liquidation of Rangers in 2012.
In February of that year the two men took control of the club, working for Duff and Phelps as administrators to protect creditors after the club had effectively run out of money.
HMRC were the biggest creditors with National Insurance and Income Tax unpaid for five months to maintain a club on the park following two early UEFA exits under the management of Ally McCoist.
From February until May Duff and Phelps kept the club functioning while dealing with the SFA and SPL and discussing future owners.
Charles Green eventually appeared on the scene, a CVA was rejected putting the club into liquidation with Duff and Phelps selling Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park for £5.5m despite being valued at £100m a decade earlier under Dave Murray.
HMRC and 266 other creditors were left high and dry by liquidation, charges against Whitehouse and Clark were dropped but the two men have been compensated for the damage to their reputations.
The National reports:
The National can reveal that the Lord Advocate is to address the Scottish Parliament on the matter, and there is concern in Scottish Government circles as to where the money will be found to pay the compensation which sources close to Whitehouse and Clark say was £21m in total, plus a further £3m in legal expenses.
“The money is in their bank accounts,” said the insider. “All they want now is a proper public apology.”
Further admitted cases of malicious prosecution are still to be resolved with Charles Green, former chief executive of Rangers, and former commercial director Imran Ahmad both set to receive compensation likely to run into eight figures in total.
Former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill last year called last year for an inquiry into the malicious prosecutions “scandal”. Told by The National of the figures already paid he asked where the money would come from “in these times of crisis”.
MacAskill stated: “This has caused consternation, and even anger, both within the service and in the police where rumour has it that it’s a position strongly disagreed with.
“The cost to the public purse will be massive but the reputational damage to the Crown Office is incalculable.”
Nine years after beginning the liquidation of the club BDO are still working to salvage a payment to creditors.
