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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Council loses discrimination case | Council loses discrimination case |
| (about 18 hours later) | |
| Angus Council has been ordered to pay a Bangladeshi man £26,000 after a tribunal ruled it had racially discriminated against him. | Angus Council has been ordered to pay a Bangladeshi man £26,000 after a tribunal ruled it had racially discriminated against him. |
| The authority was unable to explain why it had not shortlisted Ahsan Khan for the post of head of housing when he met the necessary criteria for the job. | The authority was unable to explain why it had not shortlisted Ahsan Khan for the post of head of housing when he met the necessary criteria for the job. |
| The tribunal found the council failed to follow legal rules issued by the Commission for Racial Equality. | The tribunal found the council failed to follow legal rules issued by the Commission for Racial Equality. |
| Angus Council said it would not comment until it had studied the ruling. | Angus Council said it would not comment until it had studied the ruling. |
| Mr Khan, who is the chief executive of Loreburn Housing in Dumfries and Galloway, applied for the housing post in 2006. | |
| However, in the middle of the shortlisting exercise, the council changed the criteria and Mr Khan was not selected. | |
| The successful applicant also did not meet the new specifications but was given the job regardless. | The successful applicant also did not meet the new specifications but was given the job regardless. |
| The ruling today vindicates my view that because of my race I was put at a disadvantage when applying for this senior position Ahsan Khan | The ruling today vindicates my view that because of my race I was put at a disadvantage when applying for this senior position Ahsan Khan |
| The tribunal ruled that applications were not made anonymous so it was obvious who was applying and what race they would have been. | The tribunal ruled that applications were not made anonymous so it was obvious who was applying and what race they would have been. |
| It also found the council had refused to reply in a reasonable manner to a statutory questionnaire which had been sent to it and its replies were "evasive." | It also found the council had refused to reply in a reasonable manner to a statutory questionnaire which had been sent to it and its replies were "evasive." |
| Mr Khan said: "I'm delighted with the tribunal verdict. | Mr Khan said: "I'm delighted with the tribunal verdict. |
| "This has been a stressful and protracted process and my skills and abilities have been called into question. | "This has been a stressful and protracted process and my skills and abilities have been called into question. |
| "The ruling today vindicates my view that because of my race I was put at a disadvantage when applying for this senior position." | "The ruling today vindicates my view that because of my race I was put at a disadvantage when applying for this senior position." |
| Lynn Welsh, from the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, said: "The tribunal quite clearly states that during the recruitment process Angus Council showed a blatant disregard for good employment practice and this is unacceptable. | Lynn Welsh, from the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, said: "The tribunal quite clearly states that during the recruitment process Angus Council showed a blatant disregard for good employment practice and this is unacceptable. |
| "Mr Khan was a strong candidate and should have had the opportunity to go through the full interview process. | "Mr Khan was a strong candidate and should have had the opportunity to go through the full interview process. |
| "The council's attempts then to obstruct Mr Khan when he tried to find out why he had not been shortlisted, were also rightly condemned by the tribunal." | "The council's attempts then to obstruct Mr Khan when he tried to find out why he had not been shortlisted, were also rightly condemned by the tribunal." |