A top cop has been banned from every police station in Scotland after warning of a “climate of fear” in the force.
Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) John Mauger said he had been victimised after turning whistleblower with allegations of corruption against colleagues at Police Scotland.
The £115,000-a-year senior cop also publicly criticised the controversial move to allow hundreds of officers to carry firearms on routine duties.
In one extraordinary attack, he described Chief Constable Sir Stephen House’s attempt to justify the policy by citing the Dunblane massacre as “simply awful”.
Now force chiefs have moved to remove his security clearance and told him not to attend any Police Scotland premises or access the force’s computers.
Mauger has not been suspended but is now on enforced annual leave. It’s understood force bosses originally suggested to him that “taking some sick leave would be in order” despite sources close to the 52-year-old saying he is fully fit and ready to work.
The ACC only returned to work last year after 30 months’ gardening leave and a £1 million internal police investigation which cleared him of any wrong-doing in misconduct allegations levied against him.
Critics last night demanded Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who was first made aware of the saga in 2012, step in and sort out the mess.
Former senior police officer and Labour’s justice spokesman Graeme Pearson said: “Kenny MacAskill seems satisfied to sit back and let this debacle run on and on.
“It is not for him to make the decisions in this case but it is for him to hold those to account who are meant to be. It is embarrassing for the police service and it has been going on for years.
“We have an officer on more than £100,000 a year frozen out, add on legal fees and this is a very significant cost to the public purse, I would have thought the Justice Secretary would at least want to know why this has gone on so long.”
Mauger was Assistant Chief Constable of now-defunct Central Scotland Police when he was put on gardening leave in June 2010 amid allegations of insubordination and inefficiency.
He was off work for three years while an investigation was carried out. The senior cop eventually returned to work in the new single force in July after being cleared of any wrongdoing.
Astonishingly, taxpayers paid a bill of £1 million for his leave and legal fees.
Last month Mauger sent a letter to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), which oversees the national force. In it he claimed he was a staff whistleblower who was being bullied and frozen out because of allegations of corruption he has made against colleagues.
He wrote: “My position in the Police Service of Scotland is truly appalling.
“I am marginalised, I am isolated, I am disengaged, I am bullied and victimised. I am not given work.”
In addition, it is thought senior officers are unhappy with Mauger for submitting more than 20 freedom of information requests about his fellow officers.
A source close to the situation said: “John was clearly vindicated by the SPA earlier this year but the vendetta against him continues.
“He is not ill, he is ready to work but it is clear they think his face no longer fits. When is someone going to wake up to all of this, and how much has it cost already?”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “ACC Mauger is on a period of leave. It is inappropriate to comment further.”
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