Nicola Sturgeon-row fraudster Abdul Rauf imprisoned for two years at Glasgow Sheriff Court, given the coverage prison was on the cards

Dear All

In the final foot note to the Abdul Rauf story; he has been sent to prison for two years.

Given the circumstances and the publicity, it was almost a racing certainity that Sheriff MacKenzie at Glasgow Sheriff Court would send him down.

His case came to public light when Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote a letter on his behalf to the court asking the sheriff to consider sparing him jail in her role as his MSP.

She did so for the best of motives, his health and family.

Everyone across the political board accepts he was wrong.

In plea guilty Rauf gets an automatic reduction in sentence under the Criminal Procedures Scotland Act 1995, section 196 (1).

The case raises an interesting point, how far should an elected official go to help their constituent?

Should you refuse to represent people because they got into trouble or aren’t nice?

It really comes down to your own personal view of how you see the world; it is as always a judgement call.

Nicola Sturgeon acted out of the best of motives; she did the right thing but took a hit politically for it.

Should she do it again?

Again another judgement call, but if you represent the entire community then there will be times when you are tested.

So, the question becomes what is more important, ethics or political expediency?

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University