Racism allegations are outrageous, says Director of Public Prosecutions

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The Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday denied racially discriminating against one of the country's most senior female Asian prosecutors.

Sir Ken Macdonald, QC, said he removed Madhu Rai from her post as chief crown prosecutor for Gwent after she was found guilty of bullying colleagues.

He described Miss Rai's allegations of racism as 'outrageous'.

Miss Rai, 42, is accusing the Crown Prosecution Service, Sir Ken, CPS chief executive Richard Foster and its director of human resources Angela O'Connor of race discrimination, which they all deny.

Giving evidence at the Central London Employment Tribunal yesterday, Sir Ken insisted: "I have seen nothing in my involvement in this case to suggest that there has been anything other than impartial and correct treatment of an employee who has been found, after proper investigation and procedure, to have committed very serious and repeated acts of misconduct against other employees."

Sir Ken said he made Miss Rai acting chief prosecutor for Gwent in November 2004 even though a female member of CPS staff in the West Midlands had accused her of bullying.

A panel, including an external member, later found that Miss Rai had driven the woman to illness by repeated bullying and had targeted another woman.

Sir Ken said Miss Rai's position had become untenable and he moved her into a job at the CPS's London HQ in 2005.

He denied his decision had pre-judged the outcome of Miss Rai's appeal against the bullying findings, which failed.

He said: "The CPS has expended an enormous amount of public money securing fair process for her.

"In my opinion she has been treated scrupulously by internal disciplinary procedures."