Controversial billionaire property developer Donald Trump faces a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority over a 'sick' advert.
If successful, the action would result in a second reprimand for Mr Trump in relation to his activities in Scotland.
The tycoon placed full page adverts in two leading Scottish newspapers on Friday 14 Decemeber, the Courier and the Press and Journal, both owned by DC Thomson.
The adverts feature a photograph of Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and a Californian wind farm, and state that "tourism will suffer" as well as linking this claim to the decision to release the Lockerbie bomber.
Complaints about an earlier advert were upheld, with Trump and anti-wind group CATS warned by the ASA "not to exaggerate the number of turbines likely to be installed or the possible consequences of the Scottish Government's plans to use wind turbines."
Patrick Harvie MSP and co-convener of the Scottish Greens, who are making the latest complaint, said: “Trump has sunk to a new low. Linking renewables policy to Lockerbie victims is sick. Not only did he have no shred of evidence that tourism would suffer when we quizzed him during the parliament's inquiry into renewables, he has already been censured by the authorities for placing similar anti-renewables adverts."
He continued: "Trump’s organisation has already trashed a unique environment on the coast of Aberdeenshire and trampled on the rights of local people. Now he appears to be determined to buy up chunks of the Scottish press. It’s vital that Scotland doesn’t allow a bully to think he can flash his cash and get his own way."
"The Advertising Standards Authority is clear that advertising must be responsible, and must not mislead or offend. If DC Thomson has any sense it'll tell him to take his irresponsible, misleading and offensive business elsewhere," said Mr Harvie.
[Ekk/3]
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