Police in Scotland are investigating a leaked tape recording in which South Ayrshire’s Conservative leader appears to promise to help “pals” win multi-million pound demolition contracts.
In the recording of a meeting at the council’s offices in 2023 Martin Dowey – a former police officer – states: “You will be told the quotes are coming out. You put in your price, we will give you a guestimate of what is happening.”
And he appears to tell the businessman he can help him win work including a deal to demolish Ayr’s fire ravaged Station Hotel.
Although he has now resigned, Dowey has denied doing anything wrong and claims he informed police of the meeting himself in 2023.
In the recording of a meeting at the council’s offices in 2023 Dowey – a former police officer – states: “You will be told the quotes are coming out. You put in your price, we will give you a guestimate of what is happening. If you are in the last three you will get the quote. You will get it. That’s easy, that’s not a problem.
“The problem arises if you are not in the final three, I can’t do anything about that, so it’s up to us getting a proper price from you.”
He added: “If you are in the final three we decide who we pick but if you are not in the final three I can’t say ‘wait a minute, my pals aren’t on it’ or whatever, you canny say that.”
Discussing Ayr’s Station Hotel, which was being demolished after a fire, the businessman asks: “Is that a definite for us to get that one?”
Dowey answers: “Nobody else can do it, we have had companies out before you arrived on the scene, they don’t know how to do it, they are struggling, you put it in, you put your bid in. Don’t email Mike, put your bid in as normal and you will get the contract.”
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