Lord Sandison, a Scottish judge, has now “given the green light” for a U.S.-based human rights advocacy organization known as Avaaz to “seek a judicial review” of its petition for what’s known as an “unexplained wealth order” (UWO) targeting Donald Trump, The Scotsman explains. In other words, the proceedings can now move forward. That order, if enacted, would allow local authorities to compel Trump to outline the sources of funding for his purchases of two golf courses in Scotland, and the order would be designed to address concerns that the money used to purchase those courses may have had a corrupt origin. In its petition, Avaaz insists based on its own apparent investigative examination of the situation that there are “no reasonable grounds” upon which to assume that legal sources of income would have been enough to cover Trump’s purchase of his properties in Scotland.
Although neither of Trump’s Scottish properties have produced a profit, the former president used tens of millions of dollars of his own money to purchase the grounds. Avaaz launched its effort after members of the Scottish parliament rejected a previous attempt to enact an unexplained wealth order targeting Trump. In its endeavors, Avaaz has had the support of members of the Scottish parliamentary opposition, and the organization’s legal director, Nick Flynn, says that the latest development “means Scottish ministers will now be challenged in court over their ongoing failure to seek an UWO to investigate Trump’s suspicious Turnberry purchase.”
Flynn pointedly added as follows:
‘Armed with a proper understanding of the law, we hope that ministers agree that Trump’s purchase demands the transparency that only a UWO can bring… Ministers have been turning a blind eye to the cloud of suspicion hanging over Trump Turnberry for far too long.’
In Scottish government, “ministers” are those whose positions would be generally equivalent to the chief posts at federal departments in the United States. Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie, a member of parliament who has backed the pursuit of an unexplained wealth order targeting Trump, said as follows regarding the matter, referring to a UWO as a “McMafia” order:
‘It should never have got to the stage of a legal challenge from an NGO for the Scottish Government to confirm or deny whether they will seek a ‘McMafia’ order… Scotland’s reputation is at stake, and it is entirely within the powers of ministers to defend it. An UWO would be a clear signal that business in Scotland must be transparent and accountable, no matter the individual involved.’
Meanwhile, Trump faces criminal charges over tax evasion recently filed against his company in Manhattan.
