A veteran city councillor will face a public hearing amid claims he breached the code of conduct.
Rosemount and Midstocket councillor Bill Cormie is alleged to have publicly opposed a licensing application for a house of multiple occupation (HMO) on Roseberry Street before it was discussed by committee.
Mr Cormie was subsequently referred to the Commissioner for Standards in Ethical Life, and will now have to appear before a panel.
He is accused of breaching section seven of the code which relates to taking decisions on quasi-judicial or regulatory applications.
Mr Cormie, who was first elected in 2007, was referred to the standards chiefs by Labour councillor Willie Young.
In his letter to the commission, Mr Young said: “Clearly in this matter it can be shown that Councillor Cormie pre-judged the application, demonstrated bias, or, at the very least, was seen to be pre-judging or demonstrating bias in respect of the application before him.”
Last night, Mr Young, who is also the city’s finance convener, said the opposition councillor had “serious questions to answer”.
He said: “When you are acting in a quasi-judicial manner you have to be impartial and there’s a worry that councillor Cormie hasn’t in this incident.
“It would appear he has commented on an application he shouldn’t have.”
Mr Young was previously accused of “plotting revenge” on the opposition after the SNP’s Graham Dickson called for all 17 Labour members to step back from planning decisions.
The group was reported to the same watchdog amid claims they had colluded to force through the Marischal Square project.
The commissioner has still to confirm when the hearing will take place.
Mr Cormie declined to comment last night as the proceedings against him are active.
But Mr Dickson said it was clear Mr Young was making a political attack on his rivals.
He said: “Councillor Young is incorrect to say that I reported the Labour group, that was a member of the public.
“Whilst I did comment on it at the time because I agreed with it, this shows this is basically a vexatious campaign against Councillor Cormie.
“Willie Young has no concern about the actions of Bill Cormie and is carrying out a political attack against a fellow councillor as a means of deflecting from his own actions within the council.”
