Stagecoach founder Dame Ann Gloag launched a furious attack on prosecutors last night after they dropped ‘malicious’ people trafficking charges against her.
Dame Ann - one of Scotland’s richest women - said the Crown had serious questions to answer over the case, described as the ‘biggest stitch-up of all time’.
It has taken prosecutors more than a year to decide what to do with the allegations after the Mail revealed the 81-year-old multi-millionaire and philanthropist was charged after a police interview.
Dame Ann was awarded the honour of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen
Dame Ann’s husband David McCleary, stepdaughter Sarah Gloag, and son-in-law Paul McNeil also faced human trafficking charges as part of the same investigation.
But the Crown admitted yesterday that there will be ‘no further proceedings’ against them, although it ‘reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available’.
A spokesman for Dame Ann told the Mail that she welcomed the decision not to pursue charges against her and her relatives.
He added: ‘The threat that these malicious allegations have posed to Dame Ann’s legacy has been devastating and acute.
‘The resulting waste of public funds and police time is deeply concerning and raises serious questions.
‘Dame Ann looks forward to moving forward with her life and will take time to reflect on the future focus of her charitable giving.’
The Gloag Foundation supports ‘projects that prevent or relieve poverty’
In January 2023, Ms Gloag and her relatives were charged in connection with an ‘investigation into alleged human trafficking and immigration offences’.
At the time, Dame Ann’s spokesman said she ‘strongly disputes the malicious allegations that have been made against her, her foundation and members of her family, and will vigorously defend herself’.
Sources close to the Gloag family said the probe had been a ‘Kafkaesque nightmare’ for two years prior to the charges being brought.
A source close to the tycoon said yesterday: ‘This has been the biggest stitch-up all of time, driven by vexatious allegations.
‘It has caused great damage to her charitable foundation which has done nothing but good for people living in some of the poorest parts of the world.
‘Dame Ann is a formidable woman but a lot of people wouldn’t have been able to cope with the huge stress this has caused.’
In July last year, the Mail revealed that a report had been submitted to prosecutors - and yesterday they said there would no further action against anyone charged.
Last night a Crown Office spokesman said: ‘The Procurator Fiscal received a report relating to two females then aged 81 and 48 and two males then aged 73 and 54 and incidents alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2022.
‘After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, independent Crown Counsel instructed that there should be no proceedings taken at this time.
‘The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available, and it is in the public interest to do so.’
Dame Ann has said she and her husband believe they were victims of ‘collusion’ by eight people who had concocted a ‘cock-and-bull story’.
One source close to the family said in January last year: ‘This investigation has been a Kafkaesque nightmare for the last two years.
‘People who Dame Ann and her family tried to help turned on them and colluded in making complaints that were baseless - it is absolutely shocking.’
It is understood the allegations were made by people who were brought to Scotland as part of Dame Ann’s charity work.
The Gloag Foundation supports ‘projects that prevent or relieve poverty and encourage the advancement of education, health and religion in the UK and overseas’.
Dame Ann, a former nurse and co-founder of international transport company Stagecoach, served as an executive director with the firm until May 2000.
She founded Freedom From Fistula in 2008 and expanded the charity to help more than 20,000 women and children across Africa.
The charity is dedicated to helping women and girls who are and left incontinent following prolonged, obstructed childbirth - by providing free surgical repairs.
Dame Ann, who has six children, 13 grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren, previously helped establish a hospital in Malawi and also founded Kenya Children’s Homes in 2002 which educates and cares for more than 1,500 children every year. In 2019, she was awarded the honour of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen.
Dame Ann has a combined worth of £730million together with her brother, Sir Brian Souter.
Before her business career, she worked as a unit sister in Bridge of Earn Hospital, Perthshire, where she met her future husband, Robin Gloag, while he was a patient.
By the 1970s, the couple were running a small caravan sales business. But, after 20 years in nursing, Dame Ann Gloag branched out. Along with her brother, the Gloags bought a bus for £425.
The entrepreneurs were invited by a construction company to provide transport for workers travelling to building sites. The brother and sister realised the potential and bought two more buses.
The venture took off and Stagecoach Group is now an international company operating buses, trains, trams and ferries.