POLICE are facing a call to investigate the role of the leader of Glasgow City Council in the George Square redevelopment fiasco.
A member of the public has lodged a formal complaint with Police Scotland calling for a probe into allegations Gordon Matheson directly interfered in the competition for a £15 million redesign of the square and attempted to coerce council staff to do the same.
It is claimed Mr Matheson attempted to interfere in a legally defined European procurement process.
The complainant names two council officials who he alleges were asked to ensure members of the jury of experts, who were to select the winning design, favoured the submission Mr Matheson picked.
However, despite more embarrassment for Mr Matheson, coming just a fortnight before Glasgow Labour's AGM, there appears to be no push to oust him as leader.
Sources close to Mr Matheson have dismissed the complaint as politically motivated and insist he will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
It follows a complaint to the Public Standards Commissioner by the Royal Incorporation of Architects Scotland, including comments from Kerr Robertson, until recently the council's lead architect and projects director.
He claims that despite the contest being bound by EU law he was told six weeks before the final judging process began "Gordon Matheson would be allowed to choose the winning design" and he was asked to ensure "other jury members would fall into line with this".
His submission also names three senior council officials who either communicated the instruction or received it but declined to act on it.
Police Scotland, the Standards Commissioner, Audit Scotland and the council's internal investigations system are now probing Mr Matheson's role in the aborted project, which sparked controversy from the moment the plans were revealed.
The latest allegations come after Mr Matheson was reported to prosecutors last year for performing a sex act on another man in a city car park.
However, he continues to have the support of key behind-the-scenes power brokers, party leaders and MSPs.
SNP group leader Graeme Hendry said: "Councillor Matheson has become an embarrassment for the city."
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