Businessman linked to Glasgow and Edinburgh hospital projects to stand trial over £673,509 fraud charge

# What happened

Gordon Dunne and his wife Johan are charged with fraud totalling £673,509 in connection with DWS Building and Civil Engineering. The allegations cover transfers and the application of an electronic signature between November 2016 and January 2020. Both defendants have denied involvement in what prosecutors describe as a "fraudulent scheme." Their trial is set to begin in January at Falkirk Sheriff Court after a five-year investigation.

# Why this matters

# The allegations in brief

# Dunne's business links and previous work on the hospitals

Dunne's Dunne Group Ltd held multi-million-pound contracts for ground works on the two hospitals. The Dunne Group was reportedly awarded £4 million in 2016 by primary contractor Multiplex to keep the company operating during the Edinburgh project, a move that coincided with further delays. Company accounts show Dunne Management LLP, of which Gordon Dunne was a member, billed the Dunne Group around £3.7 million in management fees over four years.

At QEUH, concerns over the water system and its possible connection to infections have prompted police interest in several patient deaths. At the Edinburgh hospital, 2,000 "snagging" issues were identified, including drainage problems, leading the Scottish Government to halt the hospital opening the day before it was due to accept patients.

# What the accused have said

Gordon Dunne previously maintained that problems at both hospitals were mechanical and engineering issues rather than failures in ground works. The current criminal allegations, however, relate to a separate company, DWS Building and Civil Engineering, with which he is said to have been closely linked.

# Next steps

The case will proceed to trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court in January. The prosecution's case is the product of a five-year investigation. The outcome of the trial could intersect with ongoing public and criminal inquiries tied to the hospital projects, though those are distinct legal and regulatory processes.

# Immediate implications

• The trial may draw renewed public and media attention to the hospital construction programmes and the companies involved.
• Families and officials connected to the QEUH and Edinburgh children's hospital continue to seek answers about construction failures and patient safety.